Not A Moment Too Soon
by IdeaRevolutions
Summary: Hermione must travel to Hogwarts' past to change the future for both the school and its fearsome Potions Master. COMPLETE
1. Default Chapter

**Prologue: A Brief Interlude in the Past**

"You know, this is my most impressive discovery to date, if I do say so myself." Dumbledore had been playing with the idea of jumping through time with a set of spells for months now. He had been able to send warnings to his past self that he was going to make an appearance, and had finally done so.

His past self nodded. They had been discussing a particularly sensitive issue, one that seemed to provide a key to the problem that had been plaguing Hogwarts' past, present, and future, and had finally reached a conclusion.

"Are you absolutely sure this is the right thing to do? Tampering with time is a most dangerous activity."

"I assure you that all precautions will be taken. The young lady in question is the most powerful witch Hogwarts has seen since, well, the young man that she is to save. However, I do believe it prudent we induct those into the Order that I had mentioned before, so they will be aware of the situation, and so that they are able to provide help should she require it."

"I agree wholeheartedly. Miss Evans has already been inducted and apprised of the situation, and has willingly given the title of Head Girl to your student to facilitate the mission. I believe everything is in order. When will you be sending her through?"

"I will speak with her tomorrow, in my time of course, and should send her along in a day or two. She will arrive a week before the start of term, your time. Miss Granger may very well save the wizarding world a great deal of sorrow."

The Dumbledores, both past and present, nodded in agreement as they stepped back into their own times.

_A/N: I would like to start of this note by expressing my gratitude on your taking time to read this, my first, fan fiction, and secondly I promise you that all will be explained, to the best of my abilities in due time. Also, I, obviously, do not own these characters (and as such, they are property of one J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, and Warner Bros.) but my do I like to have fun with them without the goodness of profit. Anyone with questions my e-mail me (my e-mail is provided in my author page), and I will respond to each individually. On a final note, I do not have a beta, so all mistakes are of my design._


	2. Chapter One: Two Proposals

**Chapter One – Two Proposals**

More than anything else, Hermione Granger hated being disturbed while she was trying to study for her NEWTS. Ron and Harry, along with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, were talking strategy and not being very quiet about it. For half an hour more Hermione tried desperately to block out the noise they were making, but failed miserably to do so.

'That's it!' she thought to herself. 'I've got to find somewhere much quieter than this.' Hermione grabbed her books, shoved them into an already overstuffed book bag, and left the Common Room.

As she was about to exit, Harry finally noticed her and called out, "Oi, Hermione. Wait a moment." He bounded over to her and whispered in her ear. "Dumbledore wanted to have a word with you, when you have some free time. He mentioned that it was very, very important that you speak with him."

Hermione instantly forgot about her plans to find a quiet place to study and went straight to the Headmaster's office. She looked at the Gargoyle and uttered the new password ("peppermint imps"). She hated how the stairs were like a slow-moving muggle escalator that made it very hazardous to bound up them. Hermione's curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she was impatient to see what the Headmaster wanted.

"Ah, Miss Granger, please come in. Please, come in." Dumbledore was sitting behind his large desk, munching away on what looked suspiciously like Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Hermione knew that the Headmaster actively disliked Bott's because he was constantly eating one of the more … _interesting_ varieties. Dumbledore seemed to read her thoughts.

"Ah, no. These are muggle beans; something called 'Jelly Belly.' I'm quite fond of both the name and the pear-flavored ones, even if they do resemble the bogie-flavored Bott's Beans. You, as I'm well aware, however, are not here to discuss my choice of sweets. I take it Mr. Potter has finally delivered my message to you."

"He has sir. I was wondering what you need." Hermione sat fidgeting, waiting for the answer.

"Don't worry, my dear, I am not about to feed you to the proverbial sphinx. I was wondering if you could assist our dear Potions Master with the basic potion stock we will need for the ongoing war. Between his obligations (such as they are) to Lord Voldemort and those he has towards the Order, he has been quite overwhelmed."

"Sir, are you sure he will accept my help? He seems to work best alone."

"I have already spoken to Severus on the matter. He has agreed to allow you to help him. Begrudgingly, I must admit, but he has agreed. Before you ask, you will work with him on Saturday evenings, as to not interfere with your class schedule. You begin this upcoming Saturday."

"You mean, tomorrow night?"

"Yes, my dear. He will be expecting you immediately following dinner. I suggest you finish your homework now."

Hermione nodded her agreement and headed back towards Gryffindor Tower. She was apprehensive about working with someone who so clearly did not want to be helped. She thought to her that at least it would be a good way to practice her technique for the upcoming exams. Snape would be sure to criticize her every move when they were working together. She resolved to not give him anything to criticize about her, and immediately began researching the potions he was surely going to have her make.

The next evening came far more quickly than she would have liked. Hermione picked at her dinner, anxious to be done with the upcoming task as soon as possible. She had informed both Harry and Ron of what the headmaster had asked of her last night in the common room after her meeting. They wished her luck, and she left the Great Hall early to head down to the dungeons.

When she arrived at the potions laboratory door, she knocked, hesitated a moment, and let herself in. She was greeted by the site of an empty classroom. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she had a moment to compose herself before she spoke with Professor Snape.

For Hermione, even in her mind, it was always Professor Snape. Not Snape, not 'greasy git,' and heaven forbid, never Severus – even though she had been working along side him in the Order for over six months now. Dumbledore had deemed it imperative that she, along with Harry and Ron, join the Order sooner than they would have otherwise. Hermione did not see it as an early end to her childhood as the headmaster had because she knew her childhood had ended along ago – it had died as Voldemort regained some semblance of walking life.

A soft sound behind the door that led to Professor Snape's office broke Hermione out of her private reverie. She set her book bag gently on the front table and made her way to the door.

"Professor," she called out softly. "Sir, are you in here?"

With that, Hermione pushed the door open and saw Professor Snape in a very unusual position. He was hunched over his pensieve, looking positively miserable. Every so often, he would admit a whimper or a soft string of curses which all contained some variation of the phrase "goddamn asshole… why did you torment me so…?"

Hermione was taken aback. This was so out of character for the Potions Master whose infamous temperament simply did not allow for such displays of emotions. At that moment, Hermione would have given anything to know what had given the potions master such a morose and tortured expression. At that moment in time, Hermione would have done anything to change the past.

Professor Snape chose that moment to look up, and to his surprise and embarrassment he saw Hermione staring intently at him. The vein by his temple began to pound against his head and his eyes burned with an intense hatred.

"Get out!" he shouted at her. "You are just as bad as your friend, Potter. Thinking you may tread where you are clearly not wanted. You must think yourself a clever girl, having something on the fearsome potions master, something to tattle to your little _Gryffindork_ friends. Leave my dungeons this instant!"

Hermione was clearly stunned by his outburst. She surely did not mean to intentionally catch him in such a compromising situation. "Sir, the headmaster sent me," she stuttered, trying to gather the courage to face his wrath.

"Go and tell the _headmaster_ then that I have no use for such a nosy _assistant_," Snape hissed. "I advise you go to him this instant so that you leave my dungeons in one piece!"

Hermione scrambled to get her bags and leave the dungeons. She heard him call out to her as she left, "Oh, and fifty points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all!"

Hermione's eyes watered at the injustice of the situation. She hadn't asked to be the professor's assistant, she hadn't asked to see him at his most vulnerable. She wandered around the castle, not consciously thinking about where she would end up. Hermione finally found herself staring at the gargoyle that stood guard over the entrance to Dumbledore's office. She gave the password and allowed the stairs to take her up with none of the anxiety she had felt yesterday.

Dumbledore sat behind his desk, waiting for her. Severus had talked him only moments before, still in a complete rage. The headmaster knew it was only a matter of time before Miss Granger found her way to his office. When he saw the door open, he found himself glad that she seemed to be in one piece.

"Have a seat Miss Granger," Dumbledore began gently. "I owe you an apology. I should not have sent you down there tonight, but I was insistent, with both you and Severus, that your partnership should begin as soon as possible. This is always a rough time of year for him."

Hermione looked at Dumbledore strangely. She contemplated asking him for more information, but was beat to the punch by the headmaster himself.

"Miss Granger, so long as you can promise me that this will go no further than this room, I will explain several things to you about Severus' past. This includes not saying anything to the young Mr. Potter or Mr. Weasley."

"Headmaster, I assure you that you have my complete confidence in the matter. I will not say a thing to the boys."

"Well then Miss Granger, I ask you not to interrupt with any questions until after I am done with my story, if you will. I assure you that I will answer questions you may have, and I have another proposal for you to consider. Will this arrangement be acceptable?"

"Of course, Headmaster," Hermione asked. She then turned every ounce of focus she possessed on Dumbledore; this was something even he found a bit unnerving.

"As I am sure you are well aware, Severus did not have anything close to resembling a decent childhood. His father was abusive to his mother, and ignored Severus completely until Severus showed magic ability. It was his father's mistaken belief that Severus was not his child, but that of his brother. He knew his wife to be in love with his brother, and so he naturally assumed that her nature was as corrupt as his was, which wasn't the case in the least.

Severus grew up without much support or love. When he at last came to Hogwarts, he found himself looking for acceptance as part of a group. While it is true that he knew more about the Dark Arts at age eleven than most of the seventh years, it was not a malevolent quality in the boy. He was forced to learn them as part of his family heritage. It made him stand out as an excellent student in both Defense against the Dark Arts and Potions.

As you are also quite aware, Severus was sorted into Slytherin. He was not received well there because of his financial situation. His father had gambled most of what he owned away, and the Snape name was badly tarnished as a result. He caught the eye of a few of the older students, namely Lucius Malfoy, but they also paid him little attention at first.

Severus sought out other people in other houses to befriend. He made a few acquaintances in Ravenclaw because of his intelligence, and, believe it or not, he befriended Remus Lupin. It seemed as though Severus had finally found some sort of attachment that he could look at in a positive light.

It wasn't long afterwards that young Lupin became friends with Sirius Black, James Potter, and the ever-tag-along Peter Pettigrew. Potter was brought up to intensely dislike anyone in Slytherin house because it was widely believed that no good came out of them, they were all dark wizards of one variety or another. This prejudice blinded him to the true nature of anyone in that house, including Severus.

Potter was an incredibly popular student, even as a first year. He began to pick on Severus, calling him on both his advance knowledge of the Dark Arts and his unfortunate complexion. Slowly, Potter began to convince Lupin that his reputation would be hurt if he was seen in the company of young Severus. For many years, up until the boys' fifth year I believe, Lupin continued to be a friend to Severus despite the pressures that both Black and Potter were putting on him. Lupin even let Severus in on the secret of his condition, and Severus swore to him that he would find a solution to the problem one day.

It was during his fifth year, however, that Lupin became more self-conscious. He was trying to get the attention of several different girls and knew that Severus was not a positive image enhancer. He decided, rather mistakenly, that the best way of Severus would be to humiliate him in such a way that Severus would know that Lupin had been behind the prank. It would be easy enough to convince James and Sirius to help him, as the boys played pranks on Severus nearly all of the time. You see, not only had Lupin shared his darkest secret with Severus, but Severus in turn had given some potentially dangerous information to Lupin.

Lupin was in the possession of the information that Severus had a crush on Lily Evans, not-so-secret desire of James Potter. Between himself, Black, and Potter, they devised a plan that would allow for maximum humiliation with little recourse for Severus to take. Lupin was sure it would make him stand out as part of the 'cool group' for the girls he pursued and get rid of Severus at the same time.

What you must understand is that Lupin was a fifteen year-old boy at the time, not given to thinking about the ultimate consequences of his actions. I take it that our Mr. Potter related the events he saw in Severus' pensieve to you a few years ago?"

Hermione nodded.

"That was the prank, and it worked rather well. Lupin realized his mistake, and begged Severus for his forgiveness. Severus would not grant him it, but told him that he would remain true to the memory of their friendship and not tell a soul about Lupin's condition, and he would continue to work on something to cure it. Severus was becoming a man of uncommon honor.

It was also at this time that the Dark Lord saw a use for young Severus, and bid Malfoy to befriend the boy and bring him into the fold. Malfoy delegated this task to Rodolphus LeStrange and his friends. At first, Severus resisted their attempts to 'befriend' him, and kept to himself. However, by the end of his seventh year, Severus had become so despondent that he began to believe in what LeStrange and the Death Eaters were promising him. What sealed the deal was Voldemort's promise to hand him the opportunity to pay back the group of Gryffindors that had made him so miserable. Severus then became a Death Eater.

You know the rest of the story, I'm sure. Severus realized he had made a huge mistake, and tried to rectify it before it was too late. Unfortunately, he was not able to save James and Lily Potter (who had rectified the mistakes in their past in their own right). He became dedicated to the cause of bringing down Voldemort, a man he saw as abusive as his own father. He has worked tirelessly ever since.

Miss Granger, now is the time for questions, as I'm sure you have many," Dumbledore finished.

Hermione looked at him for a moment before proceeding. "Why sir, are James, Sirius, Remus, and, well not Peter so much, but the first three regarded as good people when they clearly were not?"

"Miss Granger, while I am generally one for excuses, I can say with absolute certainty that Mr. Potter's upbringing caused him to retain certain prejudices against others, correct or not, prejudices held by many wizards of the time – and Mr. Black grew up with Mr. Potter.

The group of them were also fifteen year-old boys who wanted nothing more than for girls to find them attractive. James even saved Severus' life one night after a particularly malicious prank Sirius tried to play on him, if I recall events correctly. Severus, my dear, was not wholly innocent either – he extracted his revenge almost every time, and in some cases the results were particularly nasty.

I can also say that James and Lily Potter regretted their behavior once they grew up and had a child. They realized what they had done was wrong, much in the same way that Severus knew joining the Death Eaters had been a mistake. Unfortunately, these things never seemed to resolve themselves and precious lives were lost."

Hermione nodded and strained to think of another question. She could not, so instead she settled on bringing up a point from earlier in the conversation. "Sir," she began tentatively, "What is the nature of the other proposal you said you had for me?"

Dumbledore pressed his hands together and held up his chin. "If given the opportunity Hermione, would you be willing to give up your life for the cause of defeating Voldemort?"

"Of course I would sir," Hermione quickly responded.

"A true Gryffindor indeed. Miss Granger, I have been studying a number of subjects for a great number of years now, including the time stream that governs our daily actions and courses. I have recently discovered a means of transporting a person to the past for a lengthy amount of time to change something in the past that would have a great impact on the present situation. This spell, as it were, gives that person the opportunity to return to the time from which they came once they feel they have done the best job they can in the situation, although they will no longer lead the same life they had lead before, but they will know what is happening in that timeline."

Hermione cocked her head. "Headmaster, how is that possible that the person would have prior knowledge of the time if it had been radically altered from when they left that timeline? If that person chose to stay in the past, then wouldn't there be two of that person in the future?"

"Miss Granger, I do not pretend to know all of the mysteries that time presents. I know, however, that it works because I myself have done it, but there are some things I simply cannot change because I am not in such a position to do so.

As for your second question, it is an excellent point. Allow me, however, to explain what it is I would like you to do before I answer because I want you to take that into consideration as well.

When I asked if you would give up your life for the cause, I did not mean literally. What I would like to you to do is go back to 1977 when Severus was beginning his seventh year at Hogwarts. I want you to do everything in your power to stop him from becoming a Death Eater. He played an extremely important part of Voldemort becoming as powerful as he was.

You see Hermione, Voldemort is only as powerful as his Death Eaters. When a person takes the Dark Mark, part of their power and knowledge is transferred to Voldemort. You can imagine what happened when Severus, an exceptionally talented and powerful wizard took the mark, and what kind of benefits that the Dark Lord gained. This was augmented by the fact that Severus became his right-hand man, which allowed Voldemort to bring about the terror that he did. I have studied the situation thoroughly, and I have concluded that if Severus did not join the Death Eaters, the original Order could have defeated Voldemort for good early in his career and saved countless lives."

Hermione looked at him, "What will you tell the others if I am to leave?"

"They will be told you are on a mission for the Order. Your schooling is nearly complete, and I will tell them that you have postponed taking your NEWT exams until you return. Assuming you return, that is."

"Headmaster, that brings up another question," Hermione stated. "What does happen if I choose to stay in the past? And how will explain myself if I do go back to 1977?"

"Hermione," began Dumbledore, "I will not lie to you. This plan is a long time in the making. If you are to go back, it will look as though you're an orphaned child that has bounced from school to school depending on what family you are living with at the time. Because you are of age in the wizarding world, you no longer have need of legal guardians, but you will find a home with anyone in the Order should you so desire. I will set up a handsome bank account with Gringotts to ensure that you have sufficient means to live comfortably. You will have a plausible background story that will pass even the scrutiny of the Ministry should you apply for a job with them.

As for what will happen in the future, it is complicated. If you decide to stay, I will go forward to notify myself and make sure that you never meet yourself in the future. This means I would move your parents out of the country, most likely to America, where there is little chance you would ever run into the other version of yourself.

Curiously enough, the other version of you will be the exact opposite of you, for there cannot be two of the exact same people occupying the universe. This means that the other version of yourself would not be a witch, but instead just a muggle. This also great reduces the chances of you ever running into her. While this plan is not one hundred percent foolproof, every feasible cautionary action has taken place."

Hermione seemed perturbed at his assumption she would go. However, what disturbed her even more was that he was absolutely right to think so. It made her think of a line from a muggle movie she had recently seen. She repeated a version of it out loud to herself.

"Courage is not the absence of fear, just deciding that there is something more important than the fear. Headmaster, I will do this for the cause. Even if I'm not friends with Harry in the future, the idea that I may be able to save his parents, along with the parents of so many others, is compelling in and of itself. I also want to help Professor Snape lead a better life, as he has proven himself a man of great honor. When do I leave?"

Dumbledore looked delighted. "Certain arrangements must be made. I will perform the spells early tomorrow morning. Enjoy the last evening you will be spending here for a while, but do not tell anyone of the plan."

Hermione nodded in agreement and left for Gryffindor tower. She spent the night with her two best friends and headed off to bed, anxious to see what tomorrow would bring.


	3. Chapter Two: A Brief Interlude in the Pr...

**Chapter Two: A Short Interlude in Present Time**

The next morning, Hermione woke early and began her morning ritual. She looked around the dormitory, knowing it would be the last time she would see it as was in her present time. Hermione left the Gryffindor tower and made her way to Dumbledore's office.

The Headmaster greeted her upon entrance. He conjured a tea service, poured her a cup, and offered her a chair. They drank the tea in uncomfortable silence, Dumbledore studying Hermione intensely.

"Miss Granger, are you absolutely sure you wish to do this? There is still time to change your mind," Dumbledore inquired.

"I am absolutely certain, Headmaster, that this is the right thing to do. I will admit I have some reservations, but I know that all will work out for the best in the end. Now, what situation will I find myself in when I arrive?"

"I have traveled back to tell my past-self of your imminent arrival. It will be the week before the fall term begins, and Severus will be there as well. It used to be a tradition to have the Head Girl and Head Boy arrive the week before school started to assist the teachers and get to know each other better, as they spend quite a lot of time together throughout the year. I have also arranged for your personal items, except for your books because new ones will be provided, to be sent after you."

Hermione eyed the headmaster with interest. "Sir, how, exactly, am I Head Girl in that time? Won't it cause some… resentment among the current Gryffindors?"

"I have spoken with members of the faculty, and they have agreed to stem that resentment. Lily Evans, the girl who would have become Head Girl, has declined the position in light of the current Order mission. I have decided that they, those you affectionately call the 'Marauders,' should join the Order earlier than I would have liked in hope that Lily can get both James and Sirius to leave Severus in peace. They are aware of your situation as well. I feel it will be beneficial to the situation. I cannot impress upon you the importance of this mission. Severus must not become a Death Eater at all costs."

Hermione nodded. "I believe I am ready to go sir, after one final question that is. How will I be able to come back, if I so choose?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "The answer is quite simple my dear. You will simply have to prove that you have kept Severus from joining the Death Eaters, at least until after Voldemort has been destroyed, and then I, in the past, will give you the option to return to this time. Do you understand?"

"Completely, sir; I'm ready to go then."

"I wish you the best of luck, Miss Granger. I have no doubt that you will succeed." With that simple goodbye, Dumbledore performed a complex combination of spells. Slowly, Hermione disappeared into the annals of time.


	4. Chapter Three: Settling In

**Chapter Three: Settling In**

Hermione blinked rapidly. She was still standing in the Headmaster's office, but the Headmaster was decidedly younger.

"Welcome to 1977, Miss Granger. I am glad to see that you have arrived safely. If you would be so kind to have a seat, I shall get your things sent along to you." With that, Dumbledore pulled his pensieve out of a small closet and performed the familiar spells. A long silvery strand poured forth from his temple and settled into the bowl.

A few moments later, her trunks appeared in the Headmaster's office. 'Clever,' thought Hermione. 'He used the pensieve to show that I had arrived. I would now be a memory to the Headmaster in _my_ time.'

Dumbledore broke her out of her silent reverie. "I will have the house elves take your belongings to the Head Girl's room. Consequently, you will be directly across from the Head Boy's room, and you will share a bathroom. It is up to you two to create a bathing schedule that is, at least, satisfactory to you both. You will be introduced to the Head Boy at dinner this evening. Until then, I suggest you take this time to settle in to your new room."

Hermione looked confused. "Dumbledore, sir, isn't Severus the Head Boy? I thought that was why I was made Head Girl, so that I would have this week to get to know him, uninterrupted by studies, students, and other duties that I will have."

"You are indeed correct, Miss Granger. I underestimated you, even though I have told myself all about you. I will not do so again," he replied. "I do believe, however, you will want to get settled in before dinner? The password you will need is 'temet nosce'— you and Severus can change the password to something of your liking later on."

Hermione nodded, and left the Headmaster's office. She easily navigated the halls, gave the password, and stood outside the door to her room. She heard music coming in from across the hall, and knew that Severus had arrived to the rooms before her. Much to her surprise, her trunks had arrived before her as well.

She set to unpacking her items as well as making a few changes in the room. She had long ago learned the enchantment that made the ceiling of the Great Hall resemble the sky, and performed it on the ceiling in her chambers. She lovingly laid out the Gryffindor blanket that Harry had given to her as a Christmas present last year across the top of her bed. She thought about hanging up the pictures she had of her friends, but decided it might cause too much conflict if anyone were to see them. She hid them at the bottom of her trunk – a place she knew they would be safe and available should she want to see them.

By the time she had finished unpacking, it was time to head to the Great Hall for dinner. She idly wondered what the seating arrangements would be. As she opened the doors to the Great Hall, she noticed that the four house tables that generally graced the floor were absent, and in their place was a single table with enough places to accommodate all those that were in the castle at present time.

Dumbledore noticed her the moment she walked in the door, and directed her to take a seat next to young Severus Snape. She sat down, and began to eat in earnest. She had not eaten all day and was ravenous as a result. She did not feel disrespectful, however, as Severus had taken one look at her school robes and immediately dismissed her as just another Gryffindor to be dealt with.

They made it through the main course without saying a word to each other, but as dessert arrived, Dumbledore made it a point to try to start a conversation between the two. "Have you two introduced yourselves yet? You will be working together a lot for the next few months, and you might like to know a bit about each other before embarking upon the school year."

Grudgingly, Severus turned to her and with a considerable note of disdain in his voice he said, "I am Severus Snape. Being a Gryffindor, you probably know that by now, as I am usually the butt of whatever joke your resident _pranksters_ happened to have dreamt up. You, I do not recognize, but then again, I generally do not take note of those that are beneath me."

Hermione glared at him. "You wouldn't know me because I have not attended this school _Severus_," she said, putting heavy emphasis on his given name. "Since you do not know me, then you can hardly consider yourself above me."

Severus pointed at her school robes and sneered, "You are marked as my inferior because you wear that Gryffindor patch. You lot pride yourselves on being loyal, but you are a bunch of conniving cowards who want nothing more than to step on others to bring more power to yourselves. You are a prime example of this, you have never attended this school, yet here you are as Head Girl? Did you take pleasure in stealing that position from someone who actually deserved it?"

Hermione pushed herself violently back from the table and stood up. She was shaking, not from being upset, but from the sheer rage coursing through her body. "How dare you presume something that foul about me when you don't even know my name," she spat at him. She left the Great Hall, and managed to slam the doors behind her.

She ran up the stairs to her room, where she laid on her bed and wept. She wept not for herself, but for Severus. What had caused him to become so cruel at such a young age? She had always heard tales of the Marauders, but now that she looked back upon it, it was always from a biased point of view. She knew she had to change Severus' mind about Gryffindors, or at least, her before she could do anything else. She began planning what she would do the next day.

Severus sat and finished his dinner calmly, as though nothing had happened. To him, her actions were caused by the truth in his statement, not by its falseness – Severus could not see it any other way.

The faculty looked at him in shock. They knew he had something of a nasty temperament, but it was never this evident. Dumbledore looked at him and whispered, "I think you should apologize to her Severus, and I think you should get to know her better before you pass any sort of judgment on her. She has led a hard life, and it is very hard for her to be here now."

Severus nodded, but he had convinced himself that listening to another Gryffindor spew lies was not worth the cost. He would be cordial and accommodating, but nothing more. He had been through enough pain caused by that group for a lifetime.


	5. Chapter Four: The Next Morning

_A/N: I will try to keep things as clear as possible because there will be a lot of P.O.V.-changing within the story… I have done my best to break it up visibly so you will not find yourself too lost (I hope)._

**Chapter Four: The Next Morning**

Severus decided he would eventually have to learn her name, seeing as how he would be spending a lot of time with her as the school year went on. The morning after the disastrous dinner reception, he knocked on her door. He heard her scrambling out of bed, muttering what could only be obscenities. When she finally opened the door, the glare she leveled at him drew a sharply raised eyebrow.

"I suppose we got off on the wrong foot, so to speak, last night. I would like to know what to call you this morning at breakfast other than 'Gryffindor.' What is your name?" Severus waited for her answer, and she hesitated before giving it.

"My name is Hermione Granger," she stammered.

"Well then Miss Granger," he drawled easily, "I will see you at breakfast. Dumbledore said he had a specific task for us to undertake during our time without student interference." With that, he turned and walked down the corridor. Before he reached the end of it, however, he turned around to find that her door was still open.

"In regards to the password, I rather like it. I think it will be acceptable. Don't you agree Miss Granger?" he called down to her. She barely nodded her acquiescence and went back inside her rooms.

Severus walked down to the Great Hall, and waited for the arrival of everyone else. He was naturally an early riser, and usually had a good twenty minutes to himself before anyone else made an appearance. This morning was no different. Severus drank his tea and watched the sky change on the ceiling, waiting for everyone else's day to begin.

When Hermione heard a knock at her door, she desperately tried to stay asleep, but the knocking was unrelenting. Contrary to popular belief, Hermione Granger was certainly not a morning person. She swore a little as she got up and made herself decent. When she opened the door, she was more than a little shocked to find Severus waiting outside.

When he had asked for her name, she felt a momentary panic flare up. What should she tell him? The truth or something else? She made the decision that she had not heard otherwise, and so she responded with the truth, not entirely sure it was the right decision. As he turned around to leave, she watched him stride confidently down the hall. Even in his youth, he possessed a grace all his own. She barely heard what he had said about the password. She truly did not care what it was, so long as it kept others out from her personal chambers.

Hermione had discovered something that had made her a little uneasy the night before. She had tried to set her own wards that would give her some extra protection and privacy, but found that they lasted no longer than a minute, and the door did not have a lock on it. She resolved to ask Dumbledore about the situation over breakfast.

She made her way down to the Great Hall where Severus was already waiting. She found that he had risen early enough that he, and now she, were the only people there. She pulled out a chair next to him and received an amused look in return.

"All these chairs and you sat next to me. What, did you enjoy being verbally accosted last night Miss Granger?" Here he was, a peer, yet he still refused to call her by her given name. It was incredibly frustrating.

Hermione leveled an amused look of her own at him and said, "I thought I heard you mentioning getting off on the wrong foot this morning, so I figured that you would want to rectify the situation as soon as possible, and please, call me Hermione."

Severus nodded curtly, and proceeded to ignore her as the faculty made their way into the Great Hall.

'Well, I guess being ignored is better than what happened last night,' Hermione thought. She resolved to show no annoyance with the situation, and instead turned to Dumbledore. Once she had his attention, she asked, "Sir, is there any reason I cannot set my own wards in my room?"

"We do not allow that, especially in the Head Students' Corridor. If a member of the faculty, or even your counterpart, should have need of you, it would take far too long to get the wards down. Most situations need to be dealt with in a rapid manner, and the way things are set up now is, in my opinion, the best way to handle things."

"So that explains the lack of a lock on my door as well, doesn't it?"

"My dear, you are surprisingly astute. You must trust that Severus will not invade your privacy unduly, just as you will respect his privacy. Now, I have to speak with you two after breakfast. I have something two projects for you to work on during this 'free' week."

Hermione finished her breakfast in silence. Dumbledore's eyes had been twinkling when he mentioned her working with Severus. That was never a good sign; it usually meant he was up to something.

_A/N: Thanks to everyone that has read and reviewed, I truly appreciate it! I plan to update often, as I do not like when I have to wait interminable amounts of time to read a finished story. With that said, enjoy the next couple of chapters._


	6. Chapter Five: Plans and Potions

**Chapter Five: Plans and Potions**

The moment everyone had finished breakfast, Dumbledore turned to the Head Students and began his speech with no hesitation.

"Severus, as you are aware we begin every year with a dance open to fifth years and above." At this, Severus nodded and Hermione wondered when the tradition had been cancelled.

Dumbledore continued, "Traditionally, the faculty plan the party and the entertainment, but we feel it would be better if it were planned by students. You two have been tasked with planning the party and its entertainment. It will be held in the Great Hall, as always, but other than that, you have free reign. Please keep the music in good taste, however, as it will be closely monitored by the staff. In addition, you two are expected to go together, and no arguments with me about the subject will change over two hundred years of tradition.

The second thing I have for you to do is restock Madam Promfey's potion supply. Since I happen to know you two have deft hands when it comes to making potions, especially simple ones like she requires, this will be easy for you to accomplish. Please come and see me when you two are done with the plans and potions. I leave you to your tasks."

With that, Dumbledore took his leave of the pair. Hermione and Severus eyed each other wearily. They sat in silence for a few more moments before Hermione finally ventured a comment.

"Should we start with the plans or the potions first?"

Severus replied, "We can work on tentative plans while the potions brew; most of the potions require ample periods of settling between ingredients. We can kill those two proverbial birds with one proverbial stone. I suggest we get started this morning."

Hermione, satisfied with his idea, nodded in agreement. She and Severus left the Great Hall and continued down to the dungeons in silence. They both knew that they were going to have to talk today, but while Severus was continually telling himself to be nice to her, Hermione was trying to figure out a way to break through his icy barrier without seeming too intrusive. They both gave up their mental pursuits the moment they reached the Potions classroom.

All of the ingredients and instruments they would need were laid out on a table with a note from Madam Promfrey on exactly what potions she needed.

Severus spoke first, "It must be nice having what essentially amounts to slave labor around because you're lazy."

Hermione couldn't help but snicker at his comment. She agreed, and was wondering why they had been tasked with something that was clearly stated in the job description of the current Potions Master.

"Who is this esteemed Potions Master that has so _generously_ given us the opportunity to do his work for him?" Hermione asked of Severus, wincing at how snarky she sounded.

Much to her surprise, Severus laughed. Well, it wasn't really a laugh, more like an amused snort, but Hermione figured that it was a start.

"His name is Professor Fitzwilliam Brandon. It would seem his mother was obsessed with Jane Austen, and named him as such. It has been noted by some of the girls in our year that he shares neither Fitzwilliam Darcy's intelligence and good looks nor Colonel Brandon's sweet manner. I wouldn't know however, I prefer the Brönte sisters, especially _Wuthering Heights_."

Hermione looked at him in shock. Not only had he given a witty reply to her question, but he had just admitted having a taste for Muggle literature. Severus seemed to know what caused her delay in replying and spoke before she could.

"Is it so very hard to believe that I find pleasure in Muggle books? Do you honestly believe that all Slytherins hide down here in the dungeons reading nothing but Dark Arts books?"

Hermione saw an opening and took it. "Do you honestly believe that because I am in Gryffindor I will make the same mistakes that others have? Do you honestly believe that you know who I am because of a crest on my robes?"

Severus stared at her. "Very Slytherin of you, I must say. You're good at turning the tables around on someone. I suggest we both keep our opinions of each other's house to ourselves, and try to get along, at least while we're stuck planning the party."

Hermione, struck by just how backhanded the compliment he paid her had been, said, "So, let's get to work, and then so we can get the worst of the two tasks over – planning the party."

With that, they began working on the healing potions in earnest. Severus noticed she worked with the same air of concentration he did. It made him feel slightly better about her because he could see she took this as seriously as he did. Maybe there was something redeeming about the Gryffindor.

'NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT, I FORBID IT!' yelled a voice in his head. He was already becoming too cozy for his own good with the girl. It was time to make sure he would never be her friend.

"I suppose," he sneered, "that you'll want some sort of … muggle music involved in the dance."

"I was thinking that," stated Hermione cautiously. "It would have to be good music though. I can't stand disco or pop music." She smiled mischievously; it was now Severus' turn to be surprised. "I was thinking that we could play some punk music."

Severus stared at her long and hard before answering. "You mean to tell me that you like punk music? I find that hard to believe."

Hermione shrugged at his comment, "Just because I don't have multiple piercings or a tattoo doesn't mean I can't like the music. I love that I can listen to something and feel such… anger at the injustice that is the system. I love that I can let loose and yell and scream with those artists because I feel the same frustration they do. I may not look the part, but I feel the part… and that's what truly matters."

Severus' mind ran a million miles a moment. How had she been able to how she felt about the music and have it be the same thing he felt? The voice was back, warning him of allowing her in because of one superficial similarity. For the moment, Severus heeded the voice, if only out of habit. He finally found his voice and spoke.

"So, what's your favorite band then?"

Hermione stared at him thoughtfully. She had to remember that her favorite bands weren't out yet, and wouldn't be out for a while (oh thank Merlin she had packed some Nine Inch Nail vinyls into her trunk… not that she could share that with anyone else, but it was at least a small comfort).

"I really enjoy a couple of American bands," she said carefully. "There's the Misfits, they're pretty new, and there's this band called Black Flag… they haven't even got anything out yet, but I have a bootleg you might like. Of course, I really like the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and the Ramones, but a lot of people like them. I really like discovering new bands that I can keep to myself for a while, or share them with only really special people…" Hermione drifted off, unsure if she had made a fool out of herself or not.

Much to her delight, Severus nodded in agreement. "I think we can sneak some of those bands into the rotation, as long as we stay away from the Sex Pistols, they're too raunchy for faculty tastes, or anyone with a political agenda like The Clash. I say we use add in 'Blitzkrieg Bop' and 'CoughCool Blank' to appease our own tastes and start the party, with the Misfits track being first of course. We'll get a wizarding band to play the rest of the show so there won't be too many objections."

Hermione was enthusiastic about the plan, and wrote down everything. Once they had gotten past the subject of music, the rest of plans flowed like champagne on New Year's Eve. They decided to go with an underground club feel, so that way the students could feel like they were outside of the school walls. Severus thought it would be a good way to get them to relax and enjoy themselves more. Hermione agreed.

They finished with the potions, bottled them up, and sent them (via house elf) to Madam Promfrey. As they were cleaning up the laboratory, Hermione started another thread of conversation about the party.

"So, we're going together then?" Hermione fervently hoped she sounded casual, but had the sinking feeling she did not.

Severus nodded slowly. "We have to dance the first song together, and the last song, which is usually picked out by the Headmaster. I promise I won't cramp your style, if that's what you're worried about."

Hermione shook her head violently, "No, I was just curious. Where I come from, there has only been one dance, and it was a formal affair. I'm enjoying talking to you, and I don't think going with you will 'cramp my style' at all."

Severus simply stated, "You have obviously not met the rest of your fellow Gryffindors. I am a much-hated individual amongst them. I assure you, once you begin… fraternizing with them, I will very much cramp your style." With that, his barriers were up higher than before, as if his speech somehow reminded him of how horrible Gryffindors were.

Hermione was wise enough to notice this change in demeanor, but decided to push it just a bit further. "Does that mean you have no faith in who I am as a person? Even after spending all day talking with me? Do you have no faith that I like you for who you are, not because you're the only person to talk to at present time?"

Severus shook his head nonchalantly. "I have faith in no one, but especially none with red and gold on their chests." With that, he walked out of the room to find solace in silence, wall in place once again.


	7. Chapter Six: Nothing but the Truth

**Chapter Six: The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But…**

Hermione went back to her room, working on a plan of attack regarding Severus. She knew she had made a favorable impression that afternoon, even if he had clammed up. It was a foundation that she was determined to build upon. She knew wanted to play it safe, but she knew that she did not have the luxury of taking the time it would require to work past Severus' wall the old-fashioned way. It was time for some decidedly Slytherin tactics, and she knew it would take all of her vaunted Gryffindor courage to do this. At that moment, a knock came at her door.

"Come in," she called out. Severus cautiously opened the door and poked his head in. Hermione just looked at him and said, "I told you to come in. Please, take a seat." She motioned to a chair she had just conjured up.

Severus, out of sheer instinct, sat down on the chair. "I just though I'd bring you the news I received from Dumbledore," he addressed her. "The dance music has been approved, and we've got the band we requested. Also," at this he paused slightly, "the dance has been moved to the end of October at the request of the Headmaster. Oh, and it's been moved outside of the school grounds, to a discotheque in Hogsmeade."

Hermione nodded. She had been listening only marginally, trying to devise a plan to get Severus to trust her enough to let her in. 'You can remember the ingredients to any potion and remember any date of any given goblin rebellion, but you cannot figure out how to get a boy to talk to you. Typical,' she said to herself. At that moment, brilliance struck.

"Severus, thank you for letting me know about the changes to the dance. It certainly gives us more time to finish the planning, doesn't it? I think since that's all done for now though, I think we should play a game," she said.

At the suggestion, Severus raised his eyebrow. "A game," he repeated incredulously. Hermione nodded. Severus studied her for several silent, tense moments. He was just waiting to see if she would squirm, but much to his surprise (and slight displeasure) she kept still.

"Fine then, I'll agree to a game," he finally replied. "A game of my choosing, however." Hermione nodded, looking a bit worried at the prospect. Severus continued, "We will play Truth or Dare."

Hermione was secretly delighted. This was the game she had in mind, as it would give her an opportunity to show faith in him, and maybe win some of his trust in return. "Fine then, Severus, you ask first."

"Okay then, truth or dare," he asked.

"Truth," Hermione said without hesitation. Severus looked at her, wondering how far she would allow herself to be humiliated before she kicked him out of her room. He decided that he would go as far as he would on the first question, even if only to test her mettle.

"What is your most embarrassing secret," he asked.

Hermione searched around in her mind. She had no hesitation in telling him the answer to his question, and she wanted to make sure to tell him something that juicy, in a matter of speaking. She finally settled on one very embarrassing, at least to her, secret.

"I've never been kissed by a boy," Hermione stated with absolute confidence. It was not something that had particularly bothersome to her; it was just something that had never happened. Contrary to popular belief, she and Victor Krum had been good friends but nothing more.

Severus stared at her. The first thoughts running through his head were that she was lying. While she wasn't a classic beauty, he found her delightful to look at anyways, even if he didn't like her very much. The second thought was not as pleasant.

"You're lying to me," he said coldly. A thought flashed through his brain. This summer he had finally mastered Legimens, something he had been working on for the past two years. He would delve into her mind and see if she was lying or not. It would be tricky to do it without her noticing too much.

He continued to stare at her, slowly reaching mental fingers into her brain. He sorted through her memories delicately, looking for some clue to her dishonesty. He saw her getting sorted, meeting Ron and Harry, being called a 'mudblood' by some blonde Slytherin he did not recognize, and finally, he saw himself… except it was not himself as he was now. He was older, more sullen, and telling Hermione that he saw no difference to what were teeth that would shame a beaver.

He pulled back abruptly. He was desperately trying to collect his thoughts enough to process them. He did not know what he had found in her mind, but he was sure it was not something he was meant to see. Just who was this Hermione Granger anyways?

It occurred to him to ask the question to the woman he was wondering. "Who are you," he hissed at her, simultaneously scurrying backwards off his chair and out of her room. Before she could answer, he slammed the door and took off running in the direction of the Headmaster's office.

Hermione sat in her room in shock. She could not believe that he had violated her private space with so little regard for her. It was horrible, and she was shocked that even now – that was, before he was a Death Eater – he was willing to violate others in order to get information he thought he was in need of. It served him right that he saw all of her memories.

Oh God, he saw her memories. Not just any memories either, memories about her time at Hogwarts. This was definitely not a good thing. She was not sure how to proceed, but she knew Dumbledore would. She was also sure that Severus would take off for there before he did anything else. He would, she hoped, remain that logical.

She would just have to wait to see what the Headmaster would do. The waiting, she was sure, was going to kill her.

As luck would have it, Hermione was right. Severus left her room, running full bore for the Headmaster's office. He was in a blind panic. He was, not for the first time, scared of what he had seen. He was trying to make sense of what he had seen in her mind. How was she being sorted if she had never been here – it was a normal Sorting Ceremony, that much he was certain of – and who were those boys he had seen? They were protective of her, but more like brothers than lovers were. He knew the Headmaster would have the answers for him.

Before he realized it, he was standing in front of the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office. He gave the password, and waited to be taken to the top of the stairs. He hoped that he would find Dumbledore behind his desk, as the man seemed to know everything that took place within the castle. He was not surprised in the least when he saw the Headmaster waiting behind his desk.

Without preamble, Severus told the Headmaster what he had seen in Hermione's head. While he did not exaggerate, he also did not leave out any details, no matter how small and insignificant they may seem to him. When he finished, he stared at the Headmaster intently, waiting for an explanation. Surely, the great Albus Dumbledore would have an explanation for him.

For his part, Dumbledore was lost for words. He was unaware that Severus had perfected his Legimens technique over the summer. The boy was extremely proficient at hiding his talents it would seem. While Dumbledore knew he could not tell the boy the images he saw were false (the boy was far too smart for that), he could not tell him the entire truth to why Hermione was here.

Finally, Dumbledore spoke. "Severus, nobody was meant to see what Miss Granger has in her head. It is intrusive at best, illegal in the worst case. However, what has been done has already been done, and there is nothing we can do to reverse that.

Severus, I am going to tell you Miss Granger's reason for being here, but I most require that you keep silent on the subject. It would be detrimental for her, and others, if what I am about to tell you became widely known. Do I have your silence?"

Severus nodded. Dumbledore knew he would not have to require a wand-oath from the boy; he had already seen the extent that the boy kept his word.

"Very well then; Miss Granger is from approximately 20 years into the future. She was sent back here by accident. It seems that an extremely inept student was practicing a charm to reverse aging, but he somehow managed to send her back to this time. She arrived here a week before you did. I have been trying to help her adjust ever since her arrival. Consequently, she has met Miss Evans, who was here to tell me of her decision to turn down the position of Head Girl. Miss Granger had been Head Girl in her time, so I thought it best to allow her the position here. Miss Evans has agreed to help her with the transition and other Gryffindors.

Severus, I cannot impress upon you the importance of not only your silence, but also your support of Miss Granger. She very well may never see her family or friends again. It is going to be a very trying time for her, and she will need all of the love and support she can get. Severus, can I count on you to make this an easier transition for her?"

Severus nodded automatically. He would make an effort to be kind to her. He knew far too much about losing one's family because he had lost his own at the end of the last year. Witches and wizards unknown had murdered his parents, left them hanging in Knockturn Alley with a sign that read "Muggleborn Equality NOW!" and made sure he received the news. He had not been prejudiced against Muggleborns before the incident, but it had placed the seed of hatred into his subconscious.

He also knew that she was a Muggleborn because of what he had seen in her memories. He was bound to not let it influence his decision in being nice to her. After all, she was not the one who had killed his family – she was not even present yet in the decade when his parents had been found murdered.

Severus sat silent for a few moments more. He turned over thoughts in his head, and finally decided that he would open himself up to her completely if she told him the truth about herself. It had to come out of her mouth voluntarily; he would know if she was lying or leaving something out of her tale. He decided he would talk to her in the morning. With that, he bid the Headmaster farewell and left for his quarters.

It would seem, however, that Severus forgot one crucial detail when he was thinking about his plan in the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore was a far more practiced Legimens than Severus, and could easily read the foremost thoughts on a person's mind with ease. Severus had just allowed his thoughts to be read like an open book. Dumbledore knew that he had found a way for Hermione to gain Severus' trust, even if the method was a bit underhanded. It would seem they would have to out-Slytherin a Slytherin. Dumbledore strolled over to his fireplace, used a bit of Floo Powder, and called Hermione (in a manner of speaking).

When she answered, he said to her, "Hermione, Severus has inadvertently let it slip that he would open himself to you if you told him the truth about you being here."

"Sir, I can't tell him the truth… it would ruin everything wouldn't it?"

"I have already given him a version of the truth. I have told him that you are here because of an accident. You were at the wrong end of a spell cast by an inept student and are here purely by mistake. That is what I told him, and so that has become your story. I'll let the other members of the Order know that is what Severus believes so that there won't be any unwanted mix-ups."

Hermione nodded. She said her goodbyes to the Headmaster, sat back down on her bed, and planned what she was going to tell Severus in the morning.


	8. Chapter Seven: Bad Dreams, Good Times

**Chapter Seven: …The Truth, or at Least One Version of It**

_Hermione was running towards the front gates of the school. She passed the dead and the dying, knowing there was nothing she could do for them. There was only one person right now who needed her help, and she was determined to make it to his side, come hell or high water._

'_Hell has already arrived,' she thought as she ran. She dodged hexes and jinxes, throwing a few of her own to get through the throng of Death Eaters that stood between her and Harry. She was determined to help her friend. In front of her she Ron fall. She could not grieve for her friend now, she would have to grieve later… if there was a later._

_She finally spotted a man in a robe locked in fierce battle with a young boy… She shouted, "HARRY!" as she was running towards them. The hooded figure, Voldemort, looked up at her briefly, then resumed his battle with Harry._

_From behind Voldemort, another hooded figure stepped out into Hermione's field of vision. The figure dropped its hood, and the face of Lucius Malfoy was revealed. Malfoy raised his wand towards Hermione, and blew her wand out of her hand. He then yelled, "CRUCIO!"_

_Hermione found herself instantly in the greatest agony she had ever had the misfortune to experience. Through her pain, she saw the face of Harry Potter morph into that of Severus Snape. It was Snape that was fighting Voldemort, not Harry, and he had just fallen in defeat… _

Hermione woke up screaming.

Severus was jolted awake by the sound of screaming coming from Hermione's bedroom. Without thinking, he threw back the blankets and raced for the door. He threw the door open to her room to find her clutching her calf in agony. He sighed, it was nothing more than a leg cramp.

He went over to her bed, and began gently massaging her calf. He began at her Achilles' tendon and worked his way slowly up her calf, making sure to hit all of the knots he found.

Hermione was slowly awaking from her dream. She was still shaking, but she felt infinitely better now that the pain was gone. She became aware of two very nice hands working their way up her leg, banishing the pain from whence it came. She moaned appreciatively.

She immediately clamped her hands over her mouth. She was mortified that she had emitted that sound, especially when she realized who belonged to those hands. Severus at least had the kindness to pretend he didn't hear the noise.

"Uh, thank you for this, Severus," she stammered, unsure of exactly what to say. He continued with his work, making sure the muscles were completely relaxed before he stopped. Hermione had a knack for knowing when opportunity was knocking, and right now, it was banging down the door.

"Severus, can I talk to you about something?"

He nodded slowly, unsure of what Hermione planned on saying.

"I know you saw some things early this evening that don't make sense. I… am not from here. I'm from twenty or so years in the future. I don't even know what I'm doing here… all I remember is working in the library and hearing some idiot say a charm wrong; I turned around to correct them, and I found myself in the library… twenty years into the past. Thankfully, the Headmaster noticed, and came and got me.

I could really be screwing things up by telling you this, Severus, but I really need someone to talk to, to trust. I know about what Remus Lupin did to you, I swear, if you trust me, I won't do that. I swear it to you!"

At this point, Severus held up his hand for her to stop rambling. He looked at her in the eyes and sensed nothing but truth coming from her. For him, this was as good as ransacking her mind to find the exact memory of what happened.

"I will have to think about it, Hermione. You are asking a lot of me – and I am not sure it is something I want to give to another person. I do not think myself so hollow inside as to never be able to trust another person again. You have placed an extraordinary faith in me, and I will take that into consideration. We will talk about it in the morning. Goodnight."

Hermione watched him leave, and hoped for the best.

Severus closed the door to his room slowly. He had found a way to set up noise wards, which would tell him when someone was approaching his door. He wanted solitude; he had a lot to think about this evening.

He had promised himself he would open up to the mysterious Gryffindor if she told him the truth, which she had, but he still found himself hesitant to put his faith in her. It was a big step for a man that had, in essence, been a loner for the last two years. What he had told her about not being too hollow inside to trust again was true, but a hard concept to grasp nonetheless.

Severus went over the pros and cons until the wee hours of the morning. In the end, he decided that he would make himself available to her, knowing that if she hurt him it would be the end of any goodness left in him.

Hermione beat Severus to the Great Hall the next morning. She had not slept particularly well after he had left and left to begin her day as soon as it was feasible. She greedily drank the tea placed in front of her, and tried to wake up.

She lifted her eyes as she heard the unmistakable sound of the doors of the Great Hall opening. Severus, she was relieved to note, looked worse than she did. She kept her eyes on him as he walked up the aisle. He said nothing as he sat down and poured himself a cup of tea.

She was determined not to be the first one who spoke. She kept purposefully silent, a feat for which Severus was infinitely grateful. He wasn't quite prepared to deal with her yet this morning. He needed at least two cups of tea before he laid himself out to her. Twenty minutes of tense silence passed before Severus spoke.

"Hermione, I have decided that I will place my trust in you. Please understand it will be hard on me, as I am not accustomed to allowing other people to know what I'm thinking or feeling. I want to… take this slowly, if you don't mind," he finished.

"Of course, Severus, I don't want to make you uncomfortable at all. Just know that you can have complete faith in me. I will do everything in my power to prove that to do," Hermione replied.

The two finished breakfast in silence, and left to walk around the lake for a long conversation.

"That's horrible about your parents! I can't believe they never caught the people responsible for it," exclaimed Hermione. She was outraged about the crime committed against Severus' family.

"At least I have some closure. You may never see your parents again," he countered.

"Yeah, but I know they're alive. Your parents are just gone. That's not something I can easily wrap my mind around," Hermione answered.

The two had been talking for hours every day since that day in the Great Hall. They had grown extremely close in the short amount of time they had spent together. Severus learned about her goals and dreams while she learned about his past, the present, and what he thought his future would bring. School began tomorrow, so the two were enjoying what would be the last truly private conversation they would have for quite some time.

When it was time for them to go to bed, they hugged each other goodnight, both wondering what tomorrow would bring.


	9. Chapter Eight: NonCrimes and Punishment

**Chapter Eight: Non-Crimes and Punishment**

Hermione lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was the first day of school, even though classes would not begin until tomorrow. She and Severus had been working on menu for the Welcoming Feast that evening, and she decided she had needed a nap. She had a lot to prepare for that day.

Dumbledore had informed her that Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter would all arrive around four that afternoon. Severus had also heard the news, and had become noticeably less amiable as the clock drew nearer to the time. By two o'clock, his attitude had become unbearable. Hermione was loathe to start a fight, so she excused herself from his company before either of them could say something they would regret later.

She understood what caused his tension. She had heard about the Marauders' pranks on him, not only from Severus himself, but from the Headmaster as well. Most of the pranks were not as harmless as Sirius had made them seem. It was a small wonder that no lasting physical damage was done to Severus. She was well aware that Severus retaliated every time, but she was not sure she could begrudge him that. It seemed his revenge was a little more subtle, ways that Sirius and the gang would know it was him, but could never prove it.

While all of the Marauders were involved in the pranks, Hermione noticed that all of the animosity centered on Sirius and Severus. There seemed to be no discernible reason for this, it was just the way it was. Hermione was going to have to dig to find the underlying cause of the situation before she could work on fixing it. A gentle knock on the door lifted her from her thoughts.

"Come in," she called out. Severus cautiously entered the room and shut the door behind him. He saw her lying on the bed, and pulled up a chair next to her. When he spoke, he sounded oddly formal, like he was not used to apologizing. Hermione considered the idea that he probably had not apologized for his actions in quite some time.

"I'm really sorry, Hermione, about how I've behaved today. It is unacceptable. I want you to know that I will try not to take out my… hatred of these individuals upon you."

With that, he rose and left the room. He managed a weak smile at her before he closed the door. It was at that moment, Hermione made up her mind to change the situation for the better.

"I still can't believe you gave up your Head Girl title, Lily," Sirius protested as the group neared the gates of Hogwarts. "You worked really hard for it!"

Lily just smiled at him and shook her head. "You know what's at stake here, Sirius, as well as I do. Besides, she was Head Girl in her own time, so I'm sure she's more than able to perform any task needed of her."

James watched as his best friend and his girlfriend argued good-naturedly. He shook his head in amusement; Sirius would never win. James agreed with Sirius, but also knew why Hermione (he hoped that was her name, he never was good at remembering stuff like that) needed to have the position, though for the life of him, he could not figure out what made Snape so special.

For the first time that journey, Remus spoke up. "I hope she can undo some of the damage I've caused. I hope this isn't a lost cause."

Lily threw her arms around Remus in an attempt to comfort him. "Remus, he'll forgive you someday. He'll realize that you were both just kids, and that kids make stupid mistakes. You're a better person now than you were back then, we all are." With that, she glared at Sirius. "We all have to make an effort to not only make Hermione feel welcome, but also not make things more difficult than they already are for her. This means, _Sirius and James_, being nice to Severus, no matter what!"

James and Sirius nodded in agreement, though neither was sincere in their promise. They had made it their mission for the past six years to torment Snape, and they were not going to let up just because someone needed to save him. To them, Snape was beyond saving, so what they did to him was not going to hurt anything.

Hermione was waiting for the group in the Great Hall. She paced nervously, not sure how she would react to seeing the parents of one her best friends. How would she act? Would they accept her as part of the group? Did she _want_ to be accepted as part of the group? Sure, she wanted Harry to have his parents, but they weren't the focus of the mission, were they?

At that moment, the doors to the Great Hall flew open, and the group she had been waiting for came in, and she felt most of her panic melt away. Hermione took her time to look over them as they made their way up to her. Harry really did look like his father -- it was amazing. Lily was just like she looked in the photo Harry kept by his bedside. Sirius was truly a sight to behold – he was youthful, vibrant, and full of life – so much different than he had been in her time. Then again, she mused, he hasn't lost any of his friends or spent thirteen years in Azkaban. Remus was another surprise. While he looked young still, the lines of worry that constantly creased his face in the future were already starting to show now. Was he that worried already? It saddened her. When it came time to examine Peter, she saw only a boy, not the monster he had become in her mind. She had a hard time coming to terms with the dual images.

Lily grabbed Hermione in a hug, and introduced her to everyone in the group. Hermione smiled, and soon Lily realized that Hermione knew everyone already.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. You must think I'm a total idiot. I was just so excited to meet you that I forgot a few details."

Hermione smiled kindly and said, "No, I don't think you're an idiot Lily. This isn't exactly a normal situation. It's really interesting to meet you guys now. I know Peter, Sirius, and Remus from my time, but I unfortunately don't know you and James. It'll be great getting to know you guys."

With that said, the Marauders inducted her into their group, and went to settle into their rooms in the Gryffindor Tower. No one noticed when Sirius quietly left them shortly before the Sorting Ceremony began, nor did anyone notice he had taken a very important map with him.

Sirius made his way to the dungeons, where Snape was hanging out. 'Slytherin like him belongs in the dungeons,' Sirius thought maliciously. He intended to have a few words with Snape before the Sorting Ceremony.

As soon as he reached the room where Snape was working, he shoved the door open and immediately found himself at wandpoint.

"Funny, I expected you down here sooner Black," hissed Severus. "I did not expect it to take you so long to come and see what fun you could have at my expense."

Sirius, never one to know when to keep his mouth shut, retorted, "I just wanted to come down here to let you know that you'll be staying away from Hermione. She's too good to be seen with the likes of you."

"Is that so, Black? I think Hermione's old enough, and smart enough, to decide what she wants for herself."

"Not when some Dark-Arts-crazed asshole like you is running around, fucking with her mind, poisoning it!"

Severus snorted, electing not to dignify Black's rant with a response. He did, however, elect to continue holding Black at wandpoint. "Leave," he hissed. "Leave before I do something you'll regret in the morning."

Sirius, seeing no viable way out of the situation without incurring some sort of injury, backed up to the door, never turning away from Severus. He quickly made his way to the Great Hall, and took his place at the Gryffindor table.

Back in the dungeons, Severus took a minute to collect himself before he made the unavoidable appearance in the Great Hall. He was glad that he had to thought to set the wards that would notify if anyone was coming.

He generally put little credence in what Black said, but for some reason, a seed of doubt was niggling into the back of his mind. It asked if he was wrong about Hermione, what if he was wrong about he was doing to her. Was he poisoning her mind like Black claimed?

As much as he tried to shake it off, the thoughts would never completely go away. He made his way up to the front, and took his place next to Hermione at the Head Table. They would only dine up here for the evening; tomorrow they would go back to their respective House tables. She smiled warmly at him, and it reassured him. Surely, if he were poisoning her mind, she would not smile so brilliantly at him.

At the Gryffindor table, things were not so calm. Sirius was convincing the other members of the Marauders that Snape was brainwashing Hermione, and leading her down the path to the Dark Arts. He felt bad about lying to his friends, but only marginally so.

"We have to stay with her at all times! We do not want to lose her to Lord Voldemort. We pretty much know that Snape's already a Death Eater…"

Lily slammed her cup down. "_Sirius Black_! We do not know that! You like to think it's true, so it must be true, right! Hermione is here to save him, which means he _can_ be saved. This is lunacy! I'm having no part in this conversation, if this is where it's leading." She shoved her plate towards Sirius, and left the Great Hall. She was so angry that red sparks shot out the tip of her wand. However, that did not stop Sirius.

"Do you guys agree," he continued, "to stay with Hermione at all times?"

James and Peter nodded enthusiastically, but Remus was hesitant. "Sirius, don't you think we're impeding the mission? I mean, if nothing else?" He added quickly.

"Remus, you really have to let that whole thing go. You did the right thing all those years ago, when you finally decided to ditch him," Sirius cajoled.

Remus just shook his head. He knew he had been very wrong, but it would do no good to argue with Sirius when it came to what was right and what was wrong in regards to Severus Snape. Remus knew his friends would be mad at him, but he was going to have to let Hermione in on their little plan. He knew he would be forgiven in time, especially because he would have Lily on his side. Lily would convince James, who would in turn convince Sirius. Peter would just go along with the majority of the group. He nodded to appease Sirius.

"So, it's decided then," Sirius declared. "We start right after dinner."

Remus made sure he was going to be the one that "escorted" Hermione to her room. When they reached her door, he asked to come in.

"Of course, Remus," Hermione said, ushering him into her room. She was worried about what Severus would think if he saw Remus in her room, but she knew he was asleep. She had just left his room when he was falling asleep standing up.

"Hermione," Remus began, "Sirius has this crazy idea that Severus is trying to brainwash you. I know it's probably not true, given Sirius' animosity toward Severus. Sirius wants one of us with you everywhere you go because he knows that Severus won't approach you if we're with you."

Hermione saw red. "Get Sirius right now!"

Remus did as he was told. A few moments later, the Marauders arrived in her chambers, Lily in tow. Hermione glared at each of them. "What," she asked, "is this nonsense about following me around all about?"

Lily sighed in relief, which earned her another glare from Hermione. "Hermione, I agree with you whole-heartedly. I was trying to say this to the boys during dinner." Lily moved herself over by Hermione so that they were both starring daggers at the boys. Sirius could not speak a word.

Hermione scolded, "You are seriously jeopardizing my mission here, not to mention punishing Severus for whatever imaginary slights he committed against you in the first place. Neither party is innocent now, but I happen to know that you, Sirius, started this little feud! Explain yourself, Sirius Black!"

Sirius looked dumbly at her, unable to come up with a plausible explanation of why he had always picked on Severus. He mumbled the best explanation he could think of now.

"Excuse me, what was that," spat Hermione.

"I said I don't like him because he comes from a family like mine! He's got evil running through his veins! He's in Slytherin, which just proves it!" Sirius was screaming at her now.

"Severus being in Slytherin proves nothing! You never even gave him a chance, did you? If he was so _evil_, he would have told the whole school about Remus being a werewolf by now, right? No one knows, and he's still working on a cure for him! What, exactly, is evil about that," Hermione screamed.

Sirius was stunned. He worked to prove his point, but every time he thought about something Severus had done to him, he realized he had done something to Severus first. Severus never attacked him, he just retaliated – Sirius, for once, was speechless.

"That's what I thought," said Hermione. "Leave this room, now. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. I don't expect you to love Severus, or to even like him, but I expect you to be tolerant of him, and of my friendship with him."

With that, she pushed them out the door, but Lily lingered behind. "I'll work on them too, but you can't expect a miracle overnight."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't expect a miracle, Lily, just a little effort on their part."

Lily nodded in silent agreement and left the room to work on the boys' attitude.

Severus couldn't help but overhearing part of the exchange. It seemed Hermione had quite a set of lungs on her, one to match the ones he knew Black possessed. He would have paid anything to see the look on Black's face when she ripped him a new asshole.

He was genuinely touched that she had defended him so vehemently. He was starting to feel something he hadn't felt in a long time, and he wondered if she felt the same way about him. He doubted she thought of him as anything more than a friend, but since he allowed himself to open up to her, he could possibly allow himself to hope just a little bit.

He did a quick mental calculation in his head before he drifted back off to sleep. He had a monumentally important question to ask Hermione in the morning.

The next morning, Severus was waiting outside her door when Hermione opened it up to go to breakfast. He silently offered his arm to her, which she took, and they made the short trip together.

Before they went their separate ways, Severus put his hand on her hand and asked, "Hermione, seeing as how the advance Potions class is shared by all of the houses, I was wondering if you would be my partner?"

Hermione looked at him in shock. She knew how important this class was to him, and had expected him to try to work alone because he generally trusted no one but himself. While it may seem like an inconsequential question to others, she knew how much a show of faith it truly was. She nodded her agreement, and went to sat down, puzzled at the turn of events and about how she was beginning to feel about Severus Snape.


	10. Chapter Nine: Hope Springs Eternal

**Chapter Nine: Hope Springs Eternal**

Days turned into weeks as Hermione and Severus spent more and more time together. They both used their partnership in Potions as an excuse to do so, but they found themselves looking more and more to the time they shared. They were equally passionate about school, which allowed them to spend countless hours studying together, learning new things together. Hermione was somewhat ahead of the other students by simple virtue of being from twenty years into the future, but there were new things she was discovering everyday, including her feelings for the dark Slytherin with whom she enjoyed spending time.

The first weekend in Hogsmeade arrived and yielded a pleasant surprise for Hermione. There was a small shop that sold both Muggle and magical music, and she found an item that she knew Severus would love. She picked up two copies of the album – one for herself and one for him. Severus had elected to stay back at the castle (using his dislike of crowds and certain Gryffindors as an excuse), which allowed her to pick up the small gift for him. It was a simple gesture, but one she knew he would enjoy immensely.

Hermione struggled to remain interested the rest of the day. She dutifully chatted with the Marauders over butterbeers and laughed at the new devices they had purchased at Zonko's Joke Shop, but she couldn't wait to leave to see Severus. The Marauders' behavior had been much improved in the weeks since the first night at school, and while they were not exactly nice to Severus, they at least did not start any fights.

When enough time had passed that she could escape back to Hogwarts without causing too much trouble, Hermione said her goodbyes and took off towards the castle. She was so excited about her gift for Severus that it seemed to take much longer than usual to arrive back at Hogwarts.

When she finally arrived, she quickly went to her rooms, changed, and went across the hall. There were so few places Severus could be found, Hermione was confident that it would take no time at all to locate him. She was right in her first choice – he was in his room. She knocked and he opened the door, inviting her in with a simple wave of the hand.

"I got something for you in Hogsmeade," she said breathlessly, excitement obvious on her face.

Severus looked at her with an ill-concealed look of apprehension. Hermione was truly a sweet person, but the last time she had given him a 'gift,' it had been his own notes, re-ordered beyond recognition. His look of apprehension turned into a look bordering on ecstasy when he realized she was holding the long-awaited full-length vinyl from the Sex Pistols. He could not help but wrap her in a hug of pure delight.

"Thank you so much," Severus stammered out. He was in awe. He had spent the day working on a gift for her, but he had never expected her to turn up with a surprise gift for him at any time. Oh, her gift! In the excitement of getting her gift to him, he had forgotten why he had not accompanied her to Hogsmeade.

"I have a gift for you as well, Hermione." He turned around to grab a vial placed on his desk. "I know you're still having those nightmares, so I brewed some Dreamless Sleep potion for you. I hope it helps."

Hermione found she had tears creeping into the corners of her eyes. She had told him yesterday that the nightmare she had had the night she implored him to trust her continued to plague her. She was touched that he had spent all day brewing the potion for her, essentially giving up a real day off. She wrapped him in another hug. She knew she was beginning to fall for Severus Snape, but she was sure he did not feel the same way about her.

Hermione would have been surprised that her thoughts mirrored Severus' exactly. He wasn't sure how to ask her out, or if she would appreciate his advances. He was incredibly nervous about the next question he was going to ask her, but he found the courage to ask anyways.

Pulling out of the hug, he looked at her and asked, "Hermione, will you be my date for the All Hallows' Eve Ball?"

She looked confused. "Severus, I thought we were going together anyways because we're Head Boy and Girl."

Severus nodded but continued, "Yes, I know that, but I would like to take you as my date. A proper date, dinner and all; I would really enjoy that Hermione." His feelings were evident in his eyes.

Hermione, once again, was shocked. "It would be my pleasure, and my honor, to be your date. I would like that as much as you do," she finished, her voice barely above a whisper.

As much as he hated to disturb the mood, he looked at her and asked, "Do you know how to dance? I mean formally because Dumbledore is sure to have some waltzes and other 'ballroom' style dancing take place." Hermione shook her head. "No worries, Hermione. I'll teach you." With that, he slowly moved toward his door. He didn't want to push his luck for the evening – he was sure he had been given all the luck he could possibly receive for one evening.

Hermione, finally finding her voice, said, "The pleasure of having you teach me will be

all mine, Severus."

At this, he shook his head, "No, the pleasure will be all mine, Hermione."

With that simple admission, both Severus and Hermione felt like a huge weight had been lifted from their shoulders. He reached out to take hold of her hand, turned it over, gently pressed a kiss into her palm, and bid her goodnight.

Over the next three weeks, Severus and Hermione practiced dancing every night. Severus found her to be an apt pupil, picking up easily on even the most difficult steps. Their bodies molded together in a way that was hard not to notice, although both pretended not to. Neither one of them had discussed how they felt since the night Severus had asked her to be his date to the All Hallows' Eve Ball.

The night of the dance had finally arrived. For the students it was both a blessing and a curse. It was a curse to anyone under the sixth year because it had been moved (again) to the Three Broomsticks, which meant unless they found a date with one of their older classmates they would be relegated to a feast in the Great Hall. It was a blessing for the same reason to the upper-classmen, who were delighted that they would not have to put up with a great deal of immaturity from their younger counterparts (just, as some of the more cynical students were apt to point out, from their peers).

Both Severus and Hermione were incredibly nervous about the evening. It was a real date, and while they both knew how they felt about the other person, neither were sure how strongly the other person felt for them. They were both determined to figure it out once and for all this evening.

For a person that prided himself on not really caring about his appearance, Severus took extra care to look nice that evening. Since the theme of the dance was a Muggle underground club, he donned jeans and a t-shirt, the same set he wore every time he went out in Muggle London to see shows. He had charmed them so they looked impossibly good on him, accentuating every positive he had. He washed his hair (which he did everyday contrary to popular belief), but left out the conditioner – which, according to Hermione, was what made his hair look greasy no matter what he did. He took a good look in the mirror, wondering why Hermione had agreed to go with him. He certainly wasn't good-looking like, God forbid he was admitting this, Black or Potter. He, for one, wasn't about to question her decision nonetheless.

Across the hall, Hermione was in the same state of apprehension that Severus found himself in. She was also wearing jeans and a t-shirt, an old Black Flag one that fit her nicely, but had no idea what to do about her hair. She was so exasperated that she decided she was going to cut it off. She used a Shearing Charm, and found that once she had cut all of the dead weight off her hair (it now rested on her shoulders) she was left with loose curls instead of a frizzy mess. Satisfied, she put on her make-up.

She still wasn't sure what she saw in Severus. He wasn't conventionally good-looking, but then again, she had never been attracted to the conventional. Krum certainly wasn't conventionally good-looking, but she was just as enamored as the rest of the girls in the school, even if she was far better at hiding it (she had a little crush on him to be honest… it never hurt to have good-looking friends). It hit her then – Severus looked a lot like Krum, but with more grace and better angles to his body. She idly wondered if she had been attracted to Krum because she had been subconsciously attracted to Severus in his Potions Master form. She pushed the entire train of thought out of her head. It would do no good to draw comparisons between the two men, or even between the two different personas of Severus. She was enamored with Severus now, and that was all that mattered.

At that moment, a knock sounded at her door. She quickly pulled on her Converse tennis shoes, and answered the door. She was astounded at just how good Severus looked in Muggle clothing. She felt heat creeping up to her ears, and she knew she was blushing. He wasn't being shy at looking her over, however. His eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight of Hermione Granger in tight jeans and a form-fitting shirt. The thought that robes should be forbidden because they hid treasures like this crossed his mind briefly.

Silently, he offered her his arm. They didn't talk on the way to Hogsmeade, there was no need. They basked in each other's company, enjoying the sights around them.

Severus had reserved them a table in a fashionable restaurant in the far end of Hogsmeade. The atmosphere was upscale, but casual, and no one said a word when Severus and Hermione showed up in Muggle clothing. Severus had floo-ed ahead, setting up the menu in advance so that there was no need for distraction during the meal itself.

The couple kept up a steady conversation through the dinner, neither truly noticing what the food tasted like. They were both so nervous around each other, and it was making Hermione truly uncomfortable.

'Damn this,' she thought. 'I'm not going to sit here and have a bad evening because we won't talk to each other about anything other than safe subjects. If I'm going to have a bad evening, I'm going to have it because I said something to him.'

Severus noticed a sudden change in her demeanor – she looked purposeful, she looked like a woman on a mission. He was taken aback by this – both of them had been subdued that evening, and it hadn't been that pleasant for him, to be honest. He was about to just get it out of his system, and tell her how he felt when he heard her speak.

"Severus, I'm not going to beat around the bush any longer. I really like you as more than a friend. I think you're funny (especially when your sarcasm isn't directed at me), you're a good person, and I like how I feel when I'm around you. I don't know how you feel about me, but I'm tired of ignoring the issues, which is what we've done since the night you asked me to be your date."

Severus took a minute to absorb the information. He was infinitely pleased to know that she felt the same way about him as he felt about her. He took her hand and said, "I feel the same way about you, Hermione. I really like you, and I'm happier than you'll ever know that you accepted my invitation to be my date."

After that was said, another silence ensued, but unlike the previous one, this silence was comfortable and easy-going. Both Hermione and Severus were thinking about what the other had said, not believing their luck. Both had assumed they were going to be rejected and neither of them could have comprehended that they were not alone in their feelings.

After dinner, Severus (as was becoming tradition for the two of them) offered Hermione his arm, which she gladly accepted. They took their time getting to the Three Broomsticks, and as a result, the Ball was in full swing by the time they arrived. They had missed their opening songs, but neither of them were particularly perturbed. Severus had an idea that the true music hadn't started yet because he and Hermione hadn't arrived until just that moment.

As it turned out, he was right. As soon as Dumbledore saw his Head Students, he made himself heard. "It seems that our Head Students, who were largely responsible for planning this dance, have finally arrived. With that said, let the Ball begin!" He clapped his hands twice, and music filled the room.

Hermione was mildly surprised and very pleased that the song the Ball would begin officially to was to be 'Blitzkrieg Bop' by the Ramones. She and Severus made their way to the dance floor, and danced energetically, if not all together absurdly, to the music. To their mutual displeasure, the second song they had chosen had been struck from the play list.

It was clear that Dumbledore, after a few newer songs, was ready to have some of the waltzes playing. At the first sound of the wizarding world's most famous waltz, Severus offered his hand to Hermione in a silent invitation. She smiled and allowed herself to be led out to the dance floor.

That was the first of many waltzes. While she spent the majority of her night with Severus, she took turns around the dance floor with James, Sirius, and Remus as well. It seemed Peter was not in attendance that evening. Sirius had started to mutter under his breath during one of the dances, and Hermione noticed that Severus had asked Lily to dance, and she had accepted. Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

It was nearly midnight when Dumbledore got everyone's attention again. "It is time to have our final dance. Would our Head Students be so kind as to step out on the floor to help us begin? I have chosen this song myself, and it's a Muggle song, though the name of it escapes me at present time. Enjoy!"

Once again, Dumbledore clapped his hands, and some generic pop ballad started to play. Severus pulled Hermione close to him as they swayed in time to the music. The world seemed to shrink until there was nothing beyond the two of them. Severus began to whisper into Hermione's ear.

"I must confess I lied earlier tonight when I said I liked you. The truth is that I am falling in love with you Hermione Granger. I do not know how you got through my defenses or scaled the wall that I had built around myself, but you did. You are beautiful. You are exceptional. You are brilliant. You are charming. I have found, no matter how I look at it, you are everything I need in this moment, the next moment, and all the moments that come after that."

Hermione felt a small gasp escape from her throat. It was all she could do to whisper back to him that she was falling in love with him too. When the dance ended, they silently made their way back to the castle grounds, and up to their hallway.

Severus paused as they reached her room. He had been waiting for this moment all night. He held onto her hand for a moment more, then let go. He began to trace her jaw line with a single finger, taking the moment to drink in every feature, to learn every line of her face.

When he thought he could take no more, he leaned in capturing her lips with his. At first, the kiss was chaste, no more than the pressing of the two set of lips. Severus knew he needed to taste her, and he parted her lips with his tongue. Neither one of them wanted to be the one that broke the kiss, they were too enraptured by it. It was with great reluctance, sometime later, that Severus pulled away. He held Hermione tightly as he whispered a goodnight to her, and headed to his room. He was, in no small way, the happiest person on earth at that moment.


	11. Chapter Ten: Some Demons Never Die

**Chapter Ten: Some Demons Never Die**

A few weeks later, Severus lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He could not sleep, there were far too many thoughts running through his head. He and Hermione had been together for nearly a month now, and while there had been nothing to provoke his current train of thoughts, he still felt ill at ease with the entire situation.

He had been entirely truthful with Hermione that she was all that he needed when he had made the statement, and he still felt those emotions now. Yet, as the weeks went by and he found himself falling deeper and deeper in love with the Gryffindor, there was an unresolved conflict in the back of his mind.

He loved her, but could he trust her not to destroy him? He accepted that with every relationship came a certain amount of pain – no one was perfect, and there were bound to be arguments – but he worried that she would be ripped from him, forced to go back to _when_ she came from. He wished, at times like these, he had more friends. As loath as he was to admit it, he envied the way that any of the four Marauders could go to the rest of their group for not only help, but also reassurance in any situation.

He had considered, briefly, working out his problems with Lupin, but his overwhelmingly stubborn nature had decreed it a nearly impossible task. He looked back fondly on memories of the good times they had shared before Lupin gave into his baser desires (popularity and the girls that it entailed), but Severus knew that he couldn't wrap his arms around his memories – as much as he loved them, they would never love him back. Even though he subscribed to this philosophy, he couldn't help but think that he was being too hard on Lupin, who had obviously regretted what he had done, and had paid penance by shielding Severus from some of the Marauder's more… violent pranks. Even as he saw this, he allowed Lupin no quarter in his mind.

However, now that Hermione was here, that was slowly changing as well. It was as though Hermione was changing something elemental about Severus' very nature. He was well aware that he would never be an easy person to approach, although some of his barriers were slowly being dismantled. _Very slowly, but dismantled nonetheless_, he mused.

This led him back to his original train of thought. Just how much did he trust Hermione Granger with his soul? She had already captured his heart, this much he was willing to own up to, but she had not yet become part of his soul, his very being. While he knew he had taken that leap of faith he had mused about when she had first arrived in his life, he still felt tethered to his old doubts somehow. The images and emotions he received from Hermione had, in no small way, added to these feelings.

He had, without Hermione's knowledge or consent, invaded her mind to assuage the answers for himself, but had only found more questions. Dumbledore had told him that everyone saw mental images in the manner that allowed their minds to cope the best. Severus saw everything as a movie (which came as a surprise to him because he positively loathed that Muggle invention), and what he saw disturbed him. In his own mind, he replayed what he had seen in hers.

He saw himself (an older version to be sure, but himself nonetheless) being uncharacteristically cruel (at least, in his present opinion) to a young Hermione and her friends. He saw a repeat performance of the tooth incident, and various other little things. He briefly wondered what had changed him into a man that found sport in belittling others (truth be told, he had started to feel that way towards the end of his sixth year, but it had never escalated to the level he saw in her mind), but turned his mind to what truly disturbed him about the images.

Hermione had said she loved him, but how could she love him if this… _monster_ in her mind was how she had known him for so long?

These doubts were entirely the reason why he was reluctant to do anything more with Hermione than settle for a few kisses stolen before bed. He knew he would be lost to her forever if he made love to her. Severus knew that would bind his soul to hers in manner so elemental that there would be no turning back. Hermione Granger would be a part of him forever, and while part of him was terrified beyond all means, the larger part of him welcomed the idea without reservation.

It would seem then, that he had come to a tentative decision.

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Across the hall, Hermione found herself (unwittingly) in the same position as Severus. She knew that she was falling in love with him, but there were doubts in the forefront of her mind.

Would she be able to stay with him? The homesickness had passed quickly, much to her surprise, but thoughts of Harry, Ron, or her parents was still enough to cause a downswing in her mood. She knew that the world she went back to, if she went back at all, would be nothing like the world she had known. Dumbledore had never explained the specifics of the concept to her (it gave her a headache to try to think it through that far ahead), but she wondered if she, Harry, and Ron would still be friends. Would she still be the same person? Would they still be the same people? The time she was a part of now felt so much more like home than she cared to admit. She knew that her parents would have another version of her in the future, and McGonagall had become a wonderful surrogate parent, even though she didn't have to. She had heard whispers that her parents had become a high-priority target for the Death Eaters, so she knew that she had kept her parents safe by being here.

Hermione let her mind wander on the subject of parents. It had been hard to get all of the details from Severus, but she had finally found out the entire story about his parents' untimely demise.

Apparently, they had been missing for two weeks before they had been found murdered. Severus had told her that it was completely normal for them to go on a trip and never tell anyone they were leaving, so it had seemed as though nothing out of the ordinary had taken place, until the morning they were found. Severus had said it looked as though they had been beaten to death – there had been no mercifully swift death for the Snapes, only cruel pain and torture. There had been a crudely made sign around there neck that had read "Muggleborn Equality NOW!"

Hermione also knew that Lucius Malfoy had been the one to bring Severus the news, along with information that there was a wizard who would not tolerate these attacks against good pureblood families. Revenge would be within Severus' reach if he joined the ranks of Lord Voldemort. Severus had refused because he believed that one must have close to no soul to join the Dark Lord, and while he would like to see his parents' murders brought to swift justice, he would not sacrifice himself in such a way. Severus had remained aloof to Malfoy's prodding to join the Death Eaters. Hermione hoped that she was helping to strengthen his resolve by showing him that he was capable of being loved and loving in return.

Hermione did love Severus Snape with every fiber in her being. She wanted nothing more than to open herself completely to him, to give him every part of her. She knew that she would never push it though – she wouldn't voice her desire for more than a few chaste kisses or back rubs before classes or right before they went to bed for the evening. Severus seemed content with taking this very slowly, and she would give him any time he needed. This was no longer about the mission she had been sent here to complete. If by loving Severus, and having him love her in return, she saved him from selling his soul to the Dark Lord and his band of demented men, then she would be content, but she would do anything to be with him. _Anything_. She knew that if he asked, she would stay with him in this time without hesitation. She would see Ron and Harry again in the future, and she knew her parents were safe with another version of her. She was a Gryffindor after all, and she knew she would let her emotions, tempered with _some_ logic, guide her. Right now, her heart led straight to Severus, and deep down, she knew it always would.

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Sirius Black was not a happy individual. He hated Severus Snape without reason. He knew, very deep down, that it was irrational, but he couldn't help himself. He was furious that the others had allowed his… relationship with Hermione to go on, let alone be understanding about the whole situation. She deserved much better than that snake. Sirius didn't want her for himself, but he didn't want Severus to have her either.

What would Snape do if he found out that his precious Hermione was here only because she had to be here, not because she actually loved him? Sirius knew that there was no way that Hermione could actually have feelings for Snape. It was too far out of realm of his comprehension to imagine that particular possibility.

Sirius thought someone should tell Snape about all of this, but he wasn't sure he would be the one to do it. He didn't want to bring the wrath of Hermione down on top of his head. No, that wouldn't be good… but _someone_ should tell the greasy git that no one truly loved him. Sirius relished the thought, and hoped fervently that he would be there when it happened.

_A/N: Sorry for the longish wait between chapters; busy, busy, but I'm sure you all know how that goes. This chapter is dedicated to Elizabeth – thank you for making me delve into my characters' heads, I have a much better understanding of them now, even if they're a little more twisted than I originally thought._

_Thank you, again, to everyone that has reviewed my story, I appreciate it, as always._


	12. Chapter Eleven: Christmas At Hogwarts

**Chapter Eleven: Christmas at Hogwarts**

Christmas was two weeks away and Hermione had yet to find a suitable gift for Severus. She was nearly panicking. Luckily for her, seventh years were allowed to go to Hogsmeade on any given weekend, as long as they had gotten permission from their Head of House ahead of time.

Hermione had entreated Lily to join her for last minute shopping the weekend before Christmas. Lily had agreed because she too had some last minute shopping to accomplish. The two women set out for Hogsmeade on a snowy Sunday morning, both excited at finally being able to have a little time for a girl-to-girl talk.

"So," began Lily, "what's Severus like behind closed doors?"

Hermione just shrugged. "I wouldn't really know, I mean, we haven't _done_ anything. He always gives me a kiss in the morning, and in the evening; if I'm lucky I can sneak one out of him in the afternoon, but other than that…"

Lily shook her head. "I thought girls were the ones that wanted to take things slowly. Well, you can't push these things. James is slowly, but surely, learning that. Hermione, I know we don't get to spend a lot of time together, but can I trust you with something big?"

Hermione smiled. "I'm not a Gryffindor for nothing, you know. Of course you can trust me."

Lily looked shy all of a sudden. "James asked me to marry him as soon as we graduate, and I said yes!"

Hermione just smiled. She knew that already, but she was infinitely pleased nonetheless for her friend. Lily seemed to understand this, and did not allow it to affect her good mood. They completed the rest of the trip to Hogsmeade in silence.

Hermione searched through every shop in Hogsmeade in vain, trying to find a perfect Christmas gift for Severus. She had never wanted something so badly as the perfect gift for him as she did now. She had always given practical gifts to Harry and Ron, but there was something different shopping for Severus. She wanted to give him something from her heart, something that would show him how much she cared for him.

Lily had completed her shopping long ago, and looked like she wanted to get back to the castle. However, she would not abandon her friend in her quest. Finally, she had a revelation of sorts.

"Hermione, why don't we pop into the jewelry shop and see if there's anything in there. I think we've gone through all of the other stores in Hogsmeade, so it's worth a shot."

Hermione nodded in agreement, and the two women set off to the local jeweler. Once inside the shop, Hermione sensed this was where she would find her gift for Severus. She wandered around, trying to let her senses guide her. Finally, she stopped a case of rings. The proprietor of the shop made his way over to where she stood.

"Those are a new item. They're promise rings, and they will be engraved with your true heart's desire once the recipient puts the ring on his or her finger."

Hermione was thrilled at the idea. She knew that she was in love with Snape, and this would be a great way to show him. She realized that the clerk was continuing.

"…They can be modified into wedding bands if a couple gives them as promise rings first. They are also equipped with an Anti-Lying charm that negates any effort by the giver of the ring to falsify what the ring says. Are you interested, madam?"

Hermione could do nothing but nod. She picked out a ring with a winding pattern, which reminded her of snakes undulating. It practically screamed out Severus' name. She paid for the ring, and showed her purchase to Lily. The two women agreed that this was the best thing she could have purchased, and made their way back to Hogwarts.

Christmas began very early for Hermione. She had promised Lily that she would spend Christmas morning with her and the Marauders, leaving her afternoon free to spend with Severus. Severus had told her not to come over until six o'clock that evening, as he had a surprise for her, so she was in no hurry to leave the Gryffindor common room once she had arrived.

The boys were already chasing each other around, trying out the presents they had received. Apparently, they had made a pact to only buy things from Zonko's, and were putting the gifts to good use. Hermione plopped down on the couch next to Lily, and the two exchanged gifts.

They laughed when they saw they had each gotten the other the same gift. Both of them would be wearing quite racy underclothes in the near future.

"I got it as a joke," sputtered Hermione, who was laughing so hard she nearly choked on her own words.

"I got yours as an enticement for Severus… I had to, after they way you sounded in Hogsmeade," retorted Lily, who was also doubled over in spasms.

The boys came over to see what had caused the two girls to laugh so hard. James' eyebrows nearly shot through the roof when he saw the skimpy underwear. Lily smiled a smile the told him he had another Christmas present coming later this evening.

It was nearly five thirty pm when Hermione finally made her way back to her room – she did not notice the dark look that Sirius gave her when she bade her friends goodnight, and Lily made a crack about having something new to wear.

When she arrived to her room, she noticed with a sense of horror that she only had fifteen or so minutes to get ready. She quickly changed into a skirt and a button up shirt – a combination that was neither too casual nor too formal, no matter the occasion.

When she arrived at Severus' door, she found that Severus had charmed it to open without her knocking it. The first thing she saw was a beautifully laid out table for two. Severus was just putting the plates in their appropriate places as she walked in. He pulled out a chair for her, and she sat, speechless, wondering at the set-up.

They did not talk all the way through dinner. When they had finished, Severus flooed a house elf to take care of the mess, and led Hermione to his couch, were they sat, knees touching. He began to speak.

"Hermione, I had a really hard time trying to decide what to get you. I ended up getting two things for you because I couldn't decide between them. The first isn't a material item so much as it is an invitation to spend New Year's Eve at my family's home in London. I have also obtained tickets to a concert that might peak your interest. The Sex Pistols will be playing at a small club on New Year's Eve, and I would like you to accompany me. Before you ask, yes, I have obtained permission from Dumbledore for you to stay with me over those few days. What do you say?"

Hermione could barely wait for him to stop speaking when she nearly shouted her acceptance. Severus looked undeniably pleased, and brought out a small package he had hidden somewhere in his clothing.

Hermione went to retrieve her package, which she had left on his mantle. When the two opened their gifts, a gasp had come out of each of their mouths. They had bought each other companion promise rings, complete with the same markings. Upon closer inspection, Hermione realized that the image was not of undulating, entwined snakes, but instead of an infinity symbol patterned repeatedly.

Severus looked up. "I was terrified to give you that. I didn't know… I did not know what you would think of me, if you would think that it was too soon. Apparently, I have just been relieved of that notion."

Knowing what would happen, they both slid the rings onto their left ring fingers. The rings activated instantly, and words began engraving themselves on the surface of the ring. Hermione read what she meant to Severus:

_She matters, when everything is meaningless_.

His ring read:

_You and me, if the world should break in two, until the very end of days_

They stared at each other, lost for words. The rings had just said what they had been dancing around for months now. Severus stood up, whispered an undecipherable charm, and music began to play. He wordlessly offered her his hand, which she took without hesitation, and the two danced long into the night. No words were needed; the rings had said everything so beautifully that both of them were frightened to say anything for fear of ruining the moment.

Severus leaned down, capturing Hermione's lips with his own, willing his actions to speak the words he held so true in his heart. He felt no fear, no desire to push her away anymore. He wanted all of her, now and forever.

Reluctantly, he pulled himself away, once again denying himself the pleasure of her. He knew he wanted her, but he wanted to make it more special for her, for him. He wouldn't be able to control himself now, and he wanted to show her the best side of him he could, if only to live up to her expectations.

She seemed to read his mind. "Severus, let me stay tonight. We don't have to do anything, but please don't deny me the pleasure of waking up next to you tomorrow morning," she whispered pleadingly.

He nodded his consent, and led her into his bedroom.

Neither of them were happy to get out of bed the next morning. Instead, they snuggled together, talked of everything and nothing at all. She finally went back to her rooms, only to shower and change, and they dined again in his chambers that night.

Severus decided that he would not deny her if she wanted anything more from him. He would do anything she asked of him, but she seemed content to sleep in his bed, pressed against him in a very chaste manner. Nevertheless, he wrote to the head house elf at his London residence to prepare a few things for their arrival.

_A/N: I know, evilness is afoot. I bet you're just willing them to get to it already. Patience, I promise the next chapter will quench your thirst. _

_Oh, and kudos to anyone who can figure out where I stole the lines on the rings from; e-mail me the answers, and I'll make sure you get recognized. I'll give you one clue: They're from two separate songs by one artist. I want song & full album title. Good luck, and have fun._


	13. Chapter Twelve: Deeper Meanings

**Chapter Twelve: Deeper Meanings**

Hermione and Severus left Hogwarts early on New Year's Eve so they could stop by the Snape Townhouse before the concert. Hermione was impressed by the sheer size of the house – there were over twenty rooms and an army of house-elves at their disposal. Hermione, on principal, did not agree with this, but was secretly pleased she did not have to fight her luggage up the stairs.

She was also mildly shocked that Severus lived in a strictly Muggle area of town. She knew that most descendents of pureblood families eschewed the company of Muggles, even if they were only neighbors. This certainly did not fit with the Severus in the future. Hermione realized that it wasn't a fair statement… she didn't really know the Severus of the future very well at all, to be honest. She thought it was probably for the best, given the situation she found herself in now.

Yet another shock washed over Hermione when she found out that Severus was extremely adept at getting around London without the aid of magic. He was well versed in the London Underground, and got them to their destination quickly.

Hermione was so excited that she could hardly contain herself. The evening passed by in a blur of loud, fast music and enthusiastic dancing with Severus; he was a demon in the mosh pit, taking out men that were over twice his size in width.

By the time the two arrived back to the townhouse, Hermione realized it was nearly midnight. Severus asked a house-elf to bring them two flutes of champagne and lit the fire in the formal living room.

At midnight, the couple intertwined their glasses, and each silently wished that the New Year would bring more time with the other person. Hermione wished most fervently for this because she was less sure, now more than ever, what her future would hold. For the moment, she could not envision going back to the time from whence she came, but as the saying went, tomorrow was another day – and another day meant less certainty, especially with the situation they found themselves in. Almost too late, she realized Severus was going over some of the finer points of the evening.

"…maybe I should have Transfigured my hair into a Mohawk," he said. Severus turned to lie on his belly and face her. He began to fun his long fingers through her hair, and whispered softly, "You know, it would be really punk if you shaved half of your hair. It's not like it'd be permanent or anything, you could re-grow it back in the morning." Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but was quickly silenced when Severus leaned in to kiss her.

The two quickly became intertwined in front of the fireplace, their passion rising quickly as each moment passed. Severus pulled himself away from Hermione, stood up, and offered a hand in a silent proposition. Without hesitation, Hermione stood, took his hand, and allowed herself to be led to his bedroom. Both of them felt, instinctively, that tonight was the night. Tonight they would, they could, allow themselves to do what they had been fighting for months. Tonight, their bodies and souls would become a single entity. They might never again experience the magic that crackled between them at this very moment, but tonight everything was going to be nearly perfect.

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It was as though that night had opened up a floodgate between the two. Severus and Hermione spent the remainder of their time in London lodged strictly in Severus' room, surfacing only to eat and bathe. This was not a fairy book romance where the sex was perfect every time – Severus learned exactly how hard it was to get Hermione to climax and Hermione learned to be patient with Severus when he could not… _contain_ himself for very long. They both realized that eventually, they could attune to the other's needs, but it would take some time and adjustment on both their parts.

They were scheduled to arrive at Hogwarts the day before the winter break ended. While they were both exceedingly sad to see their time at the Snape townhouse end, they knew that the N.E.W.T. exams were fast approaching, and they needed to begin studying for them. It was not in either of their nature to allow anything to stand between themselves and achieving what was necessary to advance their education. However, it was a benefit that they had nearly the same class schedule and could study together.

They were beginning to plan a schedule as they made their way back to their corridor. Neither of them saw Sirius before he called out for them to stop. Sirius stumbled over to where they were, and Hermione almost vomited when the stench of alcohol on his breath threatened to overwhelm her.

"Severus," Sirius began whilst putting an overly friendly arm on Severus' shoulders, "you know, Hermione here is keeping quite the little secret. You know, you royally fuck things up in the future… _Snivellus_ and she's been sent here to stop you from getting anyone who _matters_ killed. It's not like she really loves you or anything. You're just a mission that needs to be accomplished." Sirius looked pleased with himself after his little speech.

Severus looked at Hermione, who, at present time, resembled a carp with her mouth hanging open. She had paled quickly, and looked at him apologetically. He put his hand up in front of her face to stop her from speaking, and stalked off silently to his room without so much as a look back in her direction.

Hermione was torn between hexing the hell out of Sirius or running after Severus. She knew it would be best to allow Severus some time to calm down before she approached him, so she opted for her first choice of actions. She began by muttering a Sobering Charm, aiming for right between Sirius' eyes. He yelped as his senses began to rapidly clear. Moments later, he found himself (fully sober) staring down the length of Hermione's wand to her furious eyes.

"You, Sirius Black, are a waste of sperm. Has it ever occurred to you that I do indeed _love_ Severus Snape? That the way I feel for him has absolutely nothing to do with my 'mission' as you put it?"

"Why, how… how could you feel that way about Snivellus? He's in Slytherin, there's no hope of redemption for any of them! He's probably already one of Voldemort's Death Eaters, and he'll get you killed. He's a pureblood – he hates people like you!"

"He's not a pureblood, surprising as that might seem Sirius, and he doesn't hate me. That much should be blatantly obvious, even to you! I love him, and I'll choose him over you every time. Please, Sirius, don't make me choose – I assure you that you won't like my choice." Hermione stood there coldly, still fighting the urge to use any number of creative curses that she knew to teach him his lesson.

"Fine, if you want to believe him, go ahead! See where it gets you Hermione – let me assure _you_ that you won't like it. Just don't come crawling back to us when you find yourself knee-deep in the Dark Arts." With that, Sirius skulked way like a petulant child.

Hermione quickly grabbed her belongings and made her way back to her room. It was time for some serious damage control. She quickly put her clothing away and headed across the hall. She knocked hesitantly on the door, not expecting to be allowed inside. Much to her surprise, he opened the door and gestured for her to sit down on the couch.

"I need to know if what Black said was true," Severus began without preamble. His eyes bored into her head, as if he was daring her to lie to him.

"Severus, I won't bother lying to you – we both know it's a futile endeavor, but you will not interrupt me until I am done speaking. Yes, I was sent here to keep you from becoming a Death Eater. That was my original mission – to keep you, using any means necessary, away from those terrible people.

What I didn't plan on was falling in love with you. Severus, I can't imagine a future without you in it, without you by my side. If you want to join the Death Eaters, I'll follow you – I have the opportunity to go back to my original time if I so choose and I can't see myself doing anything other than choosing to stay with you, no matter what path you choose to take in life. It scares me to say that, but I will do anything to be with you. I hope you don't want to, I hope you don't feel that you need to join them to be accepted. I accept you, Severus Snape, for what you are, have been, and will be. Not only do I accept you, but I love you. Look at the ring on your finger Severus, it can't lie. 'You and me, if the world should break in two, until the very end of days,' I mean that Severus."

With that, she looked at him expectantly. Severus looked at her for a moment, trying to decide what to ask. He knew he shouldn't just accept her word, but he found himself doing it anyways. This woman loved him, and he wasn't about to push her away because of what she had been sent to do. He was a bigger man than that. What mattered to him was that she loved him, and would follow him to the ends of the earth to prove it, much like he would follow her to the ends of the earth just to wake up next to her every morning. He could tell she wasn't lying to him, but there was one thing that still frightened him.

"What happens when you're offered the opportunity to go back? How do I know that you'll stay?"

"Severus, you'll just have to take my word for it. You'll have to trust me."

Severus looked deep into her eyes, searching them, searching her very soul. What he saw was nothing short of absolute love for him, absolute trust in him, and absolute truth from her about the situation.

"I trust you, Hermione. Rest assured I do not intend to ever become a Death Eater. Lucius Malfoy has been trying to recruit me for years, and there are many times when I have come close to joining them, especially after being humiliated by Lupin in my fifth year and nearly killed by him a year later without repercussions for those responsible. However, the death of my parents made me realize that I would be killing the parents of others, and I can't do that. I also know that I could never allow myself to corrupt you in such a way, to drag your soul into the depths of darkness that anyone who takes Voldemort's mark is required to enter.

Let it also be known that I will follow wherever you may lead me. My life just isn't complete without you in it. I love you. If you were ever to leave me, or get hurt, it would be the end of anything good inside of me."

Hermione's eyebrows nearly shot to the ceiling. Professor Snape would never have allowed himself to express his emotions so openly – in fact, he had warned Harry about doing just that would cause his downfall.

Severus moved over to the couch and sealed his statement with a searing kiss. They held each other long into the night, and were oblivious to the small rat that escaped through a small hole in the wall.

_A/N: Let me begin by apologizing: sorry about the lengthy interlude between this chapter and the last. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with this story after HBP came out (it was very nearly just killed off), but I was, and am, bound and determined to finish it. I will continue with this story (for the sake of finishing it) ignoring the end events of HBP._

_However, major revisions are going to be made after the story ends, and as I prepare to post it on another site that will allow me to expand upon what happened New Year's Eve at the Snape Townhouse._

_As for HBP, all I can say (minor spoiler, you've been warned) is that in Snape I still trust._


	14. Chapter 13: Evil Afoot

_A/N: Caution, there are some HBP plot points in this chapter and the rest of the story-- beware of spoilers._

**Chapter Thirteen: Evil Afoot**

Peter Pettigrew nearly wet himself in excitement with the information he had found out. The Dark Lord would highly value this information, and he would rise in rank. If he was lucky, the Dark Lord might even find it worth his time to knock Lucius down a few pegs for failing to do his job properly. Pettigrew thought there would be nothing more satisfying than seeing that particular event.

Pettigrew quickly reached the front gates of Hogwarts, and from there he changed back into his human form and Apparated quickly to his master's side. He immediately bowed down and kissed the hem of the Dark Lord's robes.

"Stand," commanded Voldemort, his eyes boring into those of the small man standing before him. Voldemort replayed the conversation that had taken place earlier in Severus' room. Just for good measure, Voldemort rooted around Pettigrew's other memories, finding a particularly humiliating one – he saw the time that Pettigrew had masturbated while thinking of his mother having sex in the room next to his.

Pettigrew was highly embarrassed, but kept any sort of outburst to himself. He believed that that the Dark Lord kept his power over his servants in this manner – building a mound of secrets that he could expose at any time should he doubt their loyalty. That was the problem with Pettigrew – he never knew that he was the only one that Voldemort did this to. The other Death Eaters, few in number at the present time (Voldemort was not yet ready to make his move in regard to recruitment efforts), were more easily cowed by the thought of being put under some of the most painful hexes that the Dark Arts provided. It was at this time that Lucius Malfoy stepped out of the shadows.

"Lucius," hissed Voldemort, "it would seem that your plan backfired. It would seem that by killing his parents, you have pushed him further away from us. I am not convinced that he believes Mudbloods did it. You have failed me, Lucius. You know how I deal with those that fail me."

Lucius thought quickly about what to do, he was quite good at saving his neck. "My Lord," he began hesitantly, "give me just one more chance to prove myself to you, and bring Severus Snape to our side. I believe there is another way through which we, might, ah, _convince_ him to join."

"Really, Lucius," sneered Voldemort, "and what would that be?"

"I believe, my Lord, that if we were to compromise his situation with the Mudblood, he would be more receptive to our ways."

"That is very insightful of you, Lucius. Pettigrew here has just brought me that very information. You, Lucius, along with Pettrigrew, will kidnap the Mudblood on the next Hogsmeade weekend, and bring her to me. You are to make sure that Snape knows that you have taken her, and leave some clue to her whereabouts."

"Yes, my Lord, you are infallibly wise my Lord. Where do you want us to take the Mudblood?"

"That is of no matter to you at this moment, Lucius. All you need to do is see me before you take the girl, and I will give you a Portkey for Snape to find, and it will lead to him to where I will have her. Are you perfectly clear on my instructions?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Good. After I kill the Mudblood, I believe I will begin on that special project you and I were discussing Lucius, I believe that this will warrant the beginning of my immortality – I have been told she is the strongest witch Hogwarts has seen in a century, and this is good enough for me. Have you been able to locate a relic of Gryffindor's yet?"

"No, my Lord, it is nowhere to be found. However, I have found the house crest created by Rowena Ravenclaw herself. Allow me to present it to you." With that, Lucius kneeled down, and took a parcel out of his cloak. He unwrapped it, and presented a small silver crest to Voldemort.

"I suppose this is acceptable Lucius, though I really would have preferred Gryffindor's sword, as it is ripe with symbolism. You are free to go Lucius – you have much to plan before next Saturday. I will call for you at the appropriate time."

Lucius remained on bended knee and said, "I live to serve you my Lord, and I will gladly die to serve you."

Voldemort waived his hand dismissively. Lucius knew it was time to go. He spared nothing more than a quick glance at Pettigrew and Apparated back to Malfoy Manor. Moments later, Pettigrew arrived, and a plan was hatched.

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Hermione took a look outside through Severus' window. There was a small blizzard going on outside, and soon enough, she'd be in the thick of it. She snuggled tightly into the embrace of the man lying beside her, and inadvertently woke him from his slumber.

"Good morning," he groaned as he stretched. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and turned to look out the window.

"It's such a pity that I have to stay at the castle today. I couldn't imagine not going to Hogsmeade in this sort of weather. It's such a pity that I have to brew potions again for Madam Pomfrey," Severus teased. Hermione promptly smacked him across the shoulders for his cheek. Severus had managed to receive detention this Saturday when Peter Pettigrew had accused him of intentionally sabotaging his potion. It was false, but no one had believed Severus over the golden Gryffindors. He didn't mind the detention, but he did mind not being able to spend time with Hermione. He idly wondered if Hermione was an aberration in the Gryffindor house.

Hermione quickly dressed and headed toward the Great Hall to meet up with James, Remus, Sirius, Peter, and Lily. While not exactly on speaking terms, she and Sirius had agreed to be civil to each other today. There was no sense in ruining what would be one of the last breaks before the N.E.W.T. exams.

The group headed towards Hogsmeade, and Hermione noticed that Peter was being a little more jumpy than usual. This made Hermione wonder what he was up to – did he have a date with someone in Hogsmeade, perhaps? Hermione knew what he would grow up to be, but she had been trying very hard to turn him away from that path. Little did she know it wasn't working in the least. In fact, it made Pettigrew laugh – like he would listen to a Mudblood like her.

Once they got to Hogsmeade, they all went their separate ways with a promise to meet up at the Three Broomsticks in an hour. Peter grabbed Hermione's arm and motioned for her to come with him. He mumbled about having something to show her. Hermione followed him to what looked like a vacant house.

Without warning and without time to react, she saw Peter whip his wand out and put her in a full body-bind. She tried to scream, but found that the body-bind included her vocal cords. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw another figure walk up to her. She felt a sharp pain in her ribs as someone viciously kicked her.

"Well, Pettigrew, it seems that you haven't fumbled up this mission. There just might be hope for you yet." Hermione would recognize that voice anywhere. It was Lucius Malfoy.

"I think, Malfoy, that you'd better be much more appreciative of me. I just saved your skin. Think about what would have happened if you had failed yet again. I don't think the Dark Lord would have appreciated any more failure from you," Pettigrew scoffed.

Lucius chose to ignore his comment. He left a note on the ground where Severus would surely find it, and wrote another with instructions about what to do. He summoned his owl to deliver the second note to Severus in the castle, where Lucius knew he was serving detention.

Making sure everything was in place one final time, the two Death Eaters took hold of Hermione's Petrified body and Disapparated.


	15. Chapter 14: A Reluctant Hero is Born

_A/N: There are some HBP spoilers in this chapter as I try to get the story to be HBP compliant. Don't say I didn't warn you. Oh, and they aren't mine, except what you don't recognize._

**Chapter Fourteen: A Reluctant Hero is Born**

Severus Snape was nobody's fool. He knew that Pettigrew had sabotaged his own potion in order to land Severus in detention; he was also quite certain that it hadn't been Pettigrew's idea. No, the little rat was far too stupid and obvious to plan something that cunning, and while Severus wasn't entirely sure who had put him up to it, he would bet a large sum of Gringotts' gold that either Potter or Black were behind it. Nevertheless, something about the situation nagged at him. The plan was worthy of a Slytherin – surely neither Black nor Potter possessed that level of intellect, but if they did, Severus knew he was in trouble.

At that moment, a large, regal-looking owl tapped on the window of the infirmary where Severus was delivering the freshly made potions Madam Pomfrey required. The owl stuck its leg out, looking disdainfully at Severus. Severus wasn't about to be intimidated by a bird, but impatient to find out what was needed of him, he quickly released the letter from the owl's leg and read it.

"_S. – Down a well-traveled road lays the answer to what will surely become your most burning question: where could your precious Hermione be?"_

Without hesitation, Severus left the potions on Madam Pomfrey's desk and sprinted for Hogwarts' gates. The moment he stepped outside of Hogwarts' grounds, he immediately Apparated in front of the Three Broomsticks. He slammed the doors open and stalked over to the table were Black, Potter, Lupin, and Lily sat. Without preamble, he slammed the note down on the table, he eyes glowing dangerously in the dim light of the bar.

"Well look what we have here James," Sirius growled, "a jailbird who's flown the coop. Tell me Severus; are you insane or just plain stupid?"

Severus barely spared Black a glance, but rose to the bait. "While I would love to see you drown in a battle of wits (because I can assure you that you are far over your head in the matter), there are far more pressing matters that I am currently concerning myself with. Where is Hermione? What have you done with her?"

Remus held up his hand to stop Sirius from answering. "Look," began Remus, "why would we have Hermione? We haven't seen her since this morning when she took off with Peter. They were headed toward the old Rickman place…"

Severus, without waiting for Lupin to finish whatever statement he was going to make, turned and made his way towards the front of the bar to begin his search for Hermione. He found himself immediately flanked by Potter, Lupin, and Black.

"What do you think you're doing?"

James sighed, "Look, it'll be faster if we team up to look for her. I know things have never been good between us, and we have a sordid history," (at this Severus snorted), "but I'm willing to extend the olive branch because she's happy with you. It took us a long time to come to terms with it – in fact, it was what we were discussing when you came in. We care about Hermione as much as you do – you make her happy, and we're willing to accept that. It's taken us all a long time to admit we've been wrong about you in the past, and I'm willing to admit it right here, right now, in front of you, as are Remus and Sirius." Both the mentioned men shook their heads affirmatively, and much to Severus' surprise, Black stuck out his hand although there was still a fair amount of resentment in his eyes.

Severus regarded the three of them warily. They had been known to play tricks on him in the past, but he decided to accept this uneasy alliance for the time being, if only to save Hermione. He would deal with them later if this venture turned out less than satisfactory for him. He quickly grasped Sirius' hand and then James' and Remus' in turn. Perhaps they would prove useful in his search.

The four men strode off down the lane where Lily had last seen Hermione walking with Pettigrew. Lily stayed behind to ask if anyone had seen Hermione since that morning. The men quickly reached the spot where Lucius had magically bound another letter to a large rock.

Severus took the note, read it silently, and handed the note to James. James proceeded to read the note aloud:

"_S. – I see you have become one step closer to answering your question. This letter serves as a Portkey, which will activate within five minutes of touching it. It has been warded to recognize your touch and your touch alone. We'll be seeing you shortly."_

Severus took the letter back, fully expecting to go ahead alone. He was startled when he felt three pairs of hands secure themselves to his robe.

"You didn't think we'd let you steal all of the glory did you," asked Remus by way of an explanation. Severus just shrugged as the Portkey activated, whisking them to their unknown destination.

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Hermione was currently doing something that very few wizards had ever done – she was staring straight into the eyes of Lord Voldemort. Her vaunted Gryffindor courage was coming out in spades. It was odd, she thought, he looked much more human than she ever remembered him. Hermione quickly derived a conclusion and realized Voldemort had yet to begin making his Horcruxes.

"How do you know about those? Only Lucius Malfoy was supposed to know about those!" With this, Voldemort grabbed her chin and forced her to look deep into his eyes, where he saw everything she struggled to hide. He saw Harry telling Hermione about the Horcruxes and his mission to seek them out and destroy them one by one. He saw Hermione's love for Severus Snape. This caused him to sneer. "Do you honestly believe, Mudblood, that someone who bears such a noble background, one so similar to my own, would stoop so low as to form an emotional attachment to you? You are good for nothing more than a slave!"

With that statement, Hermione did the unthinkable – she spat on Voldemort. He stared down at the dark stain on his robes and casually raised his wand. "There is something to be said about Gryffindor courage; however, such behavior cannot go unpunished. CRUCIO!"

Hermione was instantly on the ground, writhing in anguish. She clenched her jaw; she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream in pain. Her nerves felt as though someone had sent an unrelenting fire blazing through them, her muscles began to spasm uncontrollably. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, Voldemort lifted the curse.

"When I have Severus kill you, Mudblood, the pain will be ten times worse than that. At the present time, however, you are more useful alive than dead to me." With that, Hermione swore she heard faint popping noises in the distance. Maybe the cavalry had arrived.

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The men landed directly at Lucius Malfoy's feet. All four of them quickly scrambled to stand and face him.

"Clever," began Lucius, "to bring your friends, if that's what you call them. The men, Severus, who have tormented you tremendously, now stand by your side. Do you honestly believe these blood traitors will really stand up for you? Let's find out!" When Lucius made a move to raise his wand in Severus' direction, Remus stood directly in front of him and drew his own wand.

"You'll have to kill me first," stated Remus defiantly.

"That can be arranged," Lucius scoffed and made a move to cast the Killing Curse. "Avada…"

Nevertheless, before he could finish it, Severus (who had discretely drawn his wand the moment Remus stood in front of him) screamed out, "SECUMSORTIA!" James and Sirius each cast "Expelliarmus," and as a result, Lucius lost both his wand and his good looks. Remus calmly strode over to where Lucius' wand lay and snapped it in half. He also managed to staunch the flow of blood, ensuring that Lucius would live – he did this only to spare Severus a sentence in Azkaban.

It was at this moment that Severus gave absolution to the werewolf. He made eye contact with Remus to let him know. Both men simply smiled, but trudged on. There was still work to be done.

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They spied Voldemort from a distance. Severus watched him continue to torture Hermione every few seconds as they stealthily drew closer, and his rage grew exponentially. Pettigrew, oblivious as always, didn't hear them until it was too late, and found himself Stunned with his old friends keeping an eye on him. This left Voldemort without any help. Severus strode over to where Voldemort was standing – saving Hermione, it had been decided, would be his task alone, though the others would stand by in case something went wrong. Severus was more concerned that Hermione made it out alive than if he made it out.

"I see you have come to join me, my son," Voldemort hissed smoothly as he kicked Hermione out of the way. "Forget this Mudblood, when you join me, you will have indescribable power and access to women far more beautiful than her. Surely she is nothing more than a plaything to you?"

"That, Tom Riddle, is where you are wrong. Hermione is the light in my soul. She is so much more than just a piece of ass. It's really a pity that you'll never understand that."

"So be it, I had wished for you to do this, as a mark of loyalty to me, but it seems as though I'll have to dispose of this unworthy, filthy Mudblood myself!" Voldemort went to cast Avada Kedavra, and Severus immediately cast the strongest shield he could to protect Hermione. He watched helplessly as the events unfolded.

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The shield surrounded her just seconds before the Killing Curse reached her. She watched in amazement as the Killing Curse rebounded off the shield and struck Voldemort, whose body was suffused in a green glow before it crumpled to the ground.

Her last thought before she succumbed to the blissful abyss of unconsciousness was that the whole affair had been rather ironic and anti-climatic.


	16. Chapter 15: Resolution

**Chapter Fifteen: Resolution**

The three Marauders bound Pettigrew up and began the task of moving him back to the castle. Sirius, on an impulse, allowed him to speak.

"Please, it isn't my fault! It was that greasy git, Snape, who put me up to this. It was his plan from the beginning – he put me under the Imperius curse and made me do his bidding. He's just trying to become the next Dark Lord! My friends, you believe me don't you? Don't tell me that you believe that Slytherin!"

"SHUT UP," roared Sirius. "You will not speak about Severus in that manner. I know damn well you were working on your own accord, you little rat. How could you betray our friendship like this? You always had to run to the biggest bully on the playground, didn't you? You weakling – all you cared about was someone watching your ass!"

"So, you mean, you all believe Severus over me," asked Peter, who was truly astonished. He thought his ploy might work.

"Yes," came the unanimous reply.

"Thank you," came the answer from over their left shoulders. They turned around to see Severus was struggling up the hill, Hermione in his arms. She was clearly in need of medical attention. Severus made it up to where the Gryffindors were standing.

"Remus, I'm going to need some help getting her back to the school? Do you think you can manage a tandem Apparation? We'll get the authorities and bring them to deal with the rat."

Sirius looked at Severus and asked, "Are you sure you don't want to deal with this on a more… personal level? He nearly got Hermione, and you, killed!"

Severus looked down at the pathetic excuse for a wizard and smiled grimly. "I think that Azkaban will be punishment enough. Imagine Pettigrew, very day you'll get to relive your worst memories again and again. They'll help you create your own personal hell, and you'll never be able to escape from it. Unless you're lucky of course, they may just let the Dementors have you."

With that announcement, Pettigrew paled visibly. Severus was no longer paying any attention to him – he was focusing all of his energy and ability to get Hermione back, with the help of Remus, to Hogwarts safely. He knew she had been exposed for too long a period of time to the Cruciatus Curse; he could only hope that permanent damage had not been done.

He nodded at Remus and together the Disapparated to get help.

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Everyone was shocked at the quick response time from the Ministry of Magic. Pettigrew was sentenced within the week (there was a trial, but with the testimony of James, Remus, Severus, and Sirius the verdict was a forgone conclusion). He would be spending the rest of his life behind bars in Azkaban, but not for lack of trying. In order to save himself, he gave testimony that Severus' parents had been murdered under the orders of Lord Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy had performed the actual deed. Severus gave no indication that he had heard what Pettigrew had said, but Remus knew better and placed a supporting hand on Severus' shoulder. Pettigrew was sentenced anyways.

They had wanted to perform the Dementor's Kiss as a deterrent to those who would follow any other Dark Lord, but Severus, giving a much more polished version of the speech he had given Pettigrew in the field, convinced them otherwise. Lucius Malfoy received the same fate – he was hardly recognizable now; the medi-witches had been able to repair some of the damage that Severus' curse had caused, but his face still rivaled that of Mad-Eye Moody's. Severus secretly thought that karma had paid Malfoy a nasty visit.

In addition to sentencing Pettigrew, the Ministry was also quick to reward the four men with the Order of Merlin, First Class for their bravery in dispatching the Dark Lord Voldemort. They became instant celebrities overnight, Severus more so than the rest when the entire story got leaked to the wizarding public. He asked the wizarding post office to start burning his mail – only those truly close to him ever got through to him anymore.

He sat, night after night, keeping vigil over Hermione as she lay in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. She was steadily improving, and no lasting damage had been done, so it was only a matter of time before she would reawaken, and Severus was determined not to miss it, nor did he.

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Hermione's eyes fluttered open to a most welcome sight. Severus was standing over her, readjusting her blankets when she reached up to grasp his arm. He looked down, smiling at her with tears in his eyes.

"Hey sleepyhead," he said to her as he kissed her gently. "You finally thought you'd rejoin the real world, huh?"

"Since when are you so nice, Severus? It's really not becoming of you," she teased back. It was at moment that Dumbledore decided to stick his head in.

"Glad to see you are finally awake, Miss Granger. I would like to have a word with you, privately, if you and Severus don't mind." Severus just bowed his head and made his way to a part of the room where he could hear what was happening, but appear as though he had left.

"Miss Granger, your mission, as you well know, is complete. There is only one chance for me to send you back to the time from whence you came. I want you to think about what you want, and let me know as soon as possible," Dumbledore stated.

"Headmaster, sir, my decision has already been made. I'm staying here, in this time, with all of my friends."

"Hermione, this decision isn't something you should take lightly. There are many things to consider – like your friends back home as well as your parents."

"With all due respect sir, my decision was made the moment I gave my heat away to Severus. I simply could not imagine life without him, and as you said long ago, I have no idea what I'll be going back to. I have no idea if I'm even the same person. Here I know that those I love and love me in return surround me. This is my final decision, Headmaster. My heart and head tell me I belong here."

Dumbledore smiled, "I had already figured as much, Hermione. I just wanted you to be absolutely certain this is what you wanted. As you know, I have some plans to make. Severus, my boy, you can come out of hiding now."

Severus, showing no visible signs of regret at being caught, stepped out of the shadows where he had concealed himself. He walked over to Hermione and looked upon her gravely.

"Are you sure you won't regret staying here with me?"

"Severus, how can you even ask that question? Of course, I won't! I love you more than anything else in this world, and I want to be with you as long as there's still a breath in my body!"

Severus kneeled down by her bedside. "In that case, Hermione Granger, will you marry me?"

Hermione found herself, for one of the first times in her life, unable to speak. Instead, she kissed him soundly as he took her hands in his. There would be more moments that were suitable in their shared life for words.


	17. Chapter 16: Epilogue

**Epilogue: Brief Snapshots of the Future**

Dumbledore married Severus and Hermione in a double ceremony with James and Lily shortly after school ended. They promised to love and stand by each other in the most trying of circumstances, though neither could fathom more trying circumstances than they had just been through – the N.E.W.T. exams had been murder.

They moved into Severus' townhouse. Hermione, feeling particularly courageous one day, asked how they were able to afford such grandeur (she remembered what Dumbledore had said about Severus' parents not having any money). He replied that he had a few patents on potions he had invented or otherwise improved (the only one she recognized was Skele-Grow, which was one of the potions that he had improved), and they brought in more money than he would ever really need. Hermione smiled; leave it to Severus Snape to be more than self-sufficient even at such a young age.

The couple took up apprenticeships at Hogwarts – Hermione was studying under the current Potions Master and Severus was studying under the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Both had been promised jobs there when their three-year apprenticeships were completed, as both professors were nearing retirement age.

It was a cold night in November when Hermione nervously sat down next to Severus. "I have some big news for you."

He looked at her, put his book down, and invited her to sit on his lap. "Yes, love, what is it?"

"Severus, I'm pregnant!" Shit, she hadn't meant to blurt it out like that. She studied her husband carefully, trying to gauge his reaction. He just looked at her, his eyes unreadable.

"How did this happen to me?"

"I beg your pardon," Hermione spit out, furious. She made a move to get off his lap, but he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"How did all these wonderful things happen to me? I have a beautiful wife and I'm about to be blessed with a son or daughter. I could never, in a million years, have imagined my life would turn out this perfect. What do you think – can the child have more than one godparent?"

He was, of course, referring to the now diminished Marauders. They had all matured, and while Severus still had some reservations about being friends with them, a strong foundation of friendship had been laid and was built upon everyday. Remus was closest to his heart, but the others were becoming like family as well, and now their family would be expanded.

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Nine months later, Hermione Snape gave birth to a set of twins – one boy and one girl. Only days before, Lily Potter had given birth to Harry, a sight that warmed Hermione's heart. She realized that her children would be growing up with her best friend, an idea that delighted her to no end.

Hermione and Severus had named each of their four friends as godparents to both of their children. The boy, Trent was blessed with straight brown hair while his sister, Gillian had black curly hair (fortunately for her, it wasn't quite as unruly as her mother's). Both children shared their father's obsidian eyes.

The Snape children grew up with Harry and were inseparable. Eleven years passed, and all three of the children insisted on taking the Hogwarts Express to school – the Snape children were already embarrassed that their parents would also be their teachers, they didn't want to be the only first years that didn't arrive by train as well.

On that fateful trip, they befriend Ron Weasley. In their own way, they became the second generation of the Marauders – inseparable friends and deviant cohorts. Their parents watched them fall in and out of love, struggle with new situations, and mature into fine young adults over their seven years at Hogwarts. As she watched her children grow and learn with her husband by her side, she smiled. She had saved Severus' soul while he had enlightened hers, and not a moment too soon.

_A/N: Well, that was an interesting journey, thanks for coming along for the ride. A few things to say before I leave you to read other fan fiction (I personally recommend Seduction by Design myself – and not just because I had the fantastic opportunity to beta it either)._

_First of all, yes, I know, extremely sappy ending. Even I, known to my friends as the master of sarcasm and cynicism, like a good, happy ending occasionally. I believe that the character of Severus Snape has been made to suffer enough in the official Harry Potter books, so I gave him a reprieve here._

_Secondly, don't send me anything saying "He's so out-of-character" – you don't know that and neither do I – no one expect the real author can tell us what Snape was like as a teenager. The last time I checked, neither of us were J.K. Rowling (unless, Ms. Rowling, you are reading this, then feel free to tell me whatever you want), so we, as fans, don't know much about the character's background. All we know about Snape is that he didn't have the most pleasant childhood and his school career was plagued by the Marauders. He's my favorite character because he's so complex – he's the gray to Harry's white and Voldemort's black, and we're still not sure about what side he's really on (if he's on any one side at all, but let it be known that I still trust the man). Rowling has always stressed the importance of love in her books. What if someone loved Snape when he was younger – what kind of person would he grow up to be, would he be the same nasty man we know from the books? I happen to think not. _

_However, once again, I don't claim to know the answer, I just want to show you the possibilities. Since I have warned you, if you still feel the need to send me "Howlers" so to speak, feel free. Just take into consideration that I won't be nearly as nice in responding to you as I'm being here._

_Thirdly, kindly keep in mind that while the story is complete, I still consider the work to be a working draft. I will be revising it and posting it, with any luck, on another site. If you're interested, I'll be more than happy to let you know when all of the revisions are complete and the story is up in all it's final draft glory._

_Finally, a hearty thanks to all those who have read my story, and even bigger thanks to those that have reviewed. This is my first time out of the fan fiction gate, and I appreciate it. Oh, and Elizabeth, it looks like it took me getting really pissed off to break through that nasty bout of writer's block – but I took you up on your suggestion anyways. It might explain the epilogue._


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